Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Dr. Michael Chagnon’s latest Curator’s Pick for the #MuseumWithoutWalls puts the viewer “at the very edge of a psychological and artistic drama.”
The 16th-century single-sheet painting he highlights is a daring and unorthodox depiction of Shirin, the tragic heroine of poet Nizami’s love story Khusraw and Shirin. With Dr. Chagnon as your guide, discover what makes this take on the lovers’ first encounter — one of the most commonly illustrated and recognizable scenes in the Iranian tradition — so irresistibly striking.
For more information about this work in the Museum's Collection (accession number AKM422): agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/shirin-before-her-bath-akm422
Works featured in this video:
Woman by the Bank of a Pool
Signed by Kamal
Iran, ca. 1580-90
Aga Khan Museum, AKM422
Woman Applying Henna
Iran, late 16th century
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 55.121.21
Seated Youth in a Landscape
Iran, Isfahan, ca. 1640-60
Aga Khan Museum, AKM438
The Marriage of Khusraw and Shirin
Fol. 104 from a Khamseh of Nezami manuscript
Iran, 1524-25
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 13.228.7.6
Khusraw Discusses Shirin
Signed by Reza-yi ‘Abbasi
Illustration from a Khusraw and Shirin manuscript
Iran, ca. 1632
Victoria and Albert Museum / National Art Library, MSL/1885/364
Shirin Shown a Portrait of Khusraw
Signed by Reza-ye ‘Abbasi
Illustration from a Khusraw and Shirin manuscript
Iran, ca. 1632
Victoria and Albert Museum / National Art Library, MSL/1885/364
Khusraw Spies Shirin Bathing
Fol. 52r from a Khamseh of Nezami manuscript
Iran, 1527
Aga Khan Museum, AKM270
Khusraw Spies Shirin Bathing
Folio from a Khamseh of Nezami manuscript
Iran, Shiraz, 1447-48
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 28.22
Bringing online Museum experiences to you is part of our mission to connect cultures and promote understanding between peoples. To learn more about how you can support the Museum by making a donation or becoming a Friend or Patron, please visit: agakhanmuseum.org/support
Dr. Michael Chagnon’s latest Curator’s Pick for the #MuseumWithoutWalls puts the viewer “at the very edge of a psychological and artistic drama.”
The 16th-century single-sheet painting he highlights is a daring and unorthodox depiction of Shirin, the tragic heroine of poet Nizami’s love story Khusraw and Shirin. With Dr. Chagnon as your guide, discover what makes this take on the lovers’ first encounter — one of the most commonly illustrated and recognizable scenes in the Iranian tradition — so irresistibly striking.
For more information about this work in the Museum's Collection (accession number AKM422): agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/shirin-before-her-bath-akm422
Works featured in this video:
Woman by the Bank of a Pool
Signed by Kamal
Iran, ca. 1580-90
Aga Khan Museum, AKM422
Woman Applying Henna
Iran, late 16th century
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 55.121.21
Seated Youth in a Landscape
Iran, Isfahan, ca. 1640-60
Aga Khan Museum, AKM438
The Marriage of Khusraw and Shirin
Fol. 104 from a Khamseh of Nezami manuscript
Iran, 1524-25
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 13.228.7.6
Khusraw Discusses Shirin
Signed by Reza-yi ‘Abbasi
Illustration from a Khusraw and Shirin manuscript
Iran, ca. 1632
Victoria and Albert Museum / National Art Library, MSL/1885/364
Shirin Shown a Portrait of Khusraw
Signed by Reza-ye ‘Abbasi
Illustration from a Khusraw and Shirin manuscript
Iran, ca. 1632
Victoria and Albert Museum / National Art Library, MSL/1885/364
Khusraw Spies Shirin Bathing
Fol. 52r from a Khamseh of Nezami manuscript
Iran, 1527
Aga Khan Museum, AKM270
Khusraw Spies Shirin Bathing
Folio from a Khamseh of Nezami manuscript
Iran, Shiraz, 1447-48
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 28.22
Bringing online Museum experiences to you is part of our mission to connect cultures and promote understanding between peoples. To learn more about how you can support the Museum by making a donation or becoming a Friend or Patron, please visit: agakhanmuseum.org/support
