Composition with Flowering Plants and Insects

The sensitively rendered Composition with Flowering Plants and Insects is signed by the artist Shafi Abbasi, who worked at the court of Shah Abbas II and was the son of renowned figural painter Riza-yi Abbasi. Unlike his father he focused on nature, launching the botanical genre, which remained popular well into the nineteenth century. Although mainly known for his drawings and paintings. Shafi Abbasi created Moral renditions that were also used in textile designs. This watercolor depicts butterflies, bees, and beetles hovering around a rosebush and what appears to be a snapdragon or aconite plant. The composition was likely inspired by European botanical prints circulating in Isfahan at the time. The elaborate inscription in nasta liq script at the bottom consists of a poem followed by the artist's signature and the date.