Yusuf and Zuleykha, Mughal India, 18th century - Lot 177

Yusuf and Zuleykha, Mughal India, 18th century Gouache and gold on paper depicting a young Yusuf with a nimbed face kneeling on a throne, surrounded by a male court and accompanied by a servant holding a morshal flycatcher in one hand. He converses with Zuleykha, who takes the form of an old woman leaning on a cane and holding a garland of flowers in her right hand. The scene takes place in a courtyard enclosed by a parapet in the foreground and bordered by a building with a woman in the window. Mounted on an album page with two gold powdered borders and a floral margin adorned with pink flower stems. Painting size: 23 x 11.8 cm; overall size: 38.9 x 27.4 cm Small folds, small polychromatic jumps, original painting enlarged at top and bottom, a few stains, accidents and wear in margins. Provenance : Sotheby's sale, Kevorkian Foundation Collection, London, December 1, 1969, lot 161. The story of Yusuf and Zuleykha is that of Joseph (Yusuf) son of Jacob, bought as a slave by Potiphar or 'Aziz Misr, an officer of Pharaoh. The latter's wife, named Zuleykha, falls under the slave's spell and makes advances that Yusuf refuses. Accused of trying to seduce Zuleykha, Yusuf ends up in prison. This story, known from the Old Testament, is also familiar to Muslims, as Sura XII of the Koran is dedicated to Yusuf. It was later retold by the Persian poet Jâmi in 889 H / 1483. Private collection from Paris, lots 166 to 193.