Seated Sufi

With a remarkable economy of means, this drawing presents a bearded man in an apparent state of meditation, seated before the tools of a scribe. His tall, bell-shaped cap suggests an affiliation with a Sufi or dervish order. Flowing lines of varying thicknesses define the mass of his body, while minute and delicate brush strokes suggest the textures of his beard, shaven head, and light shawl. Based on the exquisite calligraphic freedom of line coupled with a portrayal of a trance-like state, this drawing has been attributed to Aqa Riza (Riza Abbasi) by Stuart Cary Welch, and Sheila Canby.