Ashmolean Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Although naturalism was never a priority in Islamic painting, from the mid-17th century onwards the Persian pictorial production increasingly experimented with realistic subjects, possibly inspired by the increased availability of Western prints in Asia. Single flowers and flower compositions such as the one seen here testify to the ability of local artists to depict subjects from life. The painting is signed by Nasr Allah Naqqash.