Sheikhzade

Sheikhzade. "The case in the mosque." Miniature. 1526–1527 "Sofa" Hafiz. Cambridge, Sackler Museum.

Sheikhzade (worked in Herat in 1520–1530, and in Bukhara in 1530–1560) was a Persian artist .

Sheikhzade began his career in Herat , a city that in the 15th and 16th centuries was one of the largest intellectual centers of the Muslim East. His name is mentioned only by one chronicler of Islamic art - the Ottoman historian of the XVI century, Mustafa Ali . Ali reports about Sheikhzad that he is from Khorasan and is a student of the renowned artist Behzad . The only work signed by Sheikhzade is a miniature with the image of “The Case in the Mosque” from the “Divan” list (poetry collection) by the poet Hafiz , which was carried out in 1526–1527 (currently this manuscript is divided into two parts, one is stored in Cambridge , Sackler Museum, the second in the Metropolitan Museum, New York ). Based on this work, researchers, in particular Stuart Carey Welch, suggest that Sheikhzade spent the first half of his life in Herat, and ascribed to him another miniature in this manuscript, "The game of polo." In addition, researchers see the hand of Sheikhzade in 14 out of 15 miniatures of “ Khams ” (Five poems) by Nizami (1524–1525, New York, Metropolitan Museum), and in four out of five illustrations of “The Sofa” (collection of poems) by Alisher Navoi (1553, Paris, National Library).

Sheikhzade (?) Portrait of a Sufi Dervish . OK. 1535 Metropolitan Museum , New York

In 1529 , Herat was besieged and captured by the Sultan of Bukhara from the dynasty of the Sheibanids Ubaidullah Khan , and some of the employees of the Herat kitabhana, among whom, besides the artist Sheikhzade, turned out to be the famous calligrapher Mir Ali , were taken to Bukhara . This was not the first relocation of Herat masters to Bukhara in history, and, as before, it had a positive effect on the Bukhara school of painting. From this period, the Haft Manzar manuscript (Seven Pavilions) of the poet Hatifi (1538, Washington, Freer Gallery) reached the present day in Sheikhzade's works, in which he took part. The manuscript was created for Abdulaziz Bakhadur Khan , the fourth ruler of the Bukhara Khanate from the dynasty of the Sheibanids, a great lover and patron of the arts. In the miniature “Bahram Gur in the Black Pavilion” from this manuscript the architectural elements of the composition are literally copied from the miniature “The Case in the Mosque” created by Sheikhzade earlier.

Some researchers also suggest that the excellent “ Portrait of a Sufi Dervish ” from the Metropolitan Museum also belongs to his hand, but not everyone agrees with this interpretation. Behzad E. Bahari, a researcher of the work, cites quite convincing arguments that Sheikhzade and the artist Mahmud Muzahhib , who worked in Bukhara from 1530 to 1550, are one and the same person. Mahmud Muzahhib was a calligrapher, a porthole and an artist, and his student was the famous Bukhara artist Abdullah .

Along with such artists as Kasim Ali , Aga Mirek , and Muzaffar Ali , Sheikhzade belonged to a brilliant pleiad of masters - followers of Bekhzad who further developed the art of their teacher.