Folio Depicting the Mourning Scene over the Death of Iskandar
Close-up of Iskandar's Mother and Aristotle
Title: The Death of Iskandar
Date: ca. 1330s
Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Credit: Freer Gallery, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian
Access Number: F1938.3, https://asia.si.edu/object/F1938.3/
Alexander the Great, referred to as Iskandar in the Islamic world, was a great Macedonian king whose military prowess led him to conquer many lands during the 4th century BCE. The widespread impact his death had on the ancient community is depicted in this folio, illustrated in The Great Mongol Shahnama (Persian Book of Kings), which details the lives of many different ancient kings and heroes. This painting in The Great Mongol Shahnama – produced under the Il-Khanid dynasty during the Mongol period – details the scene of mourning over Iskandar. The way in which the Islamic community experiences Iskandar’s death is depicted through the intense grief prominent throughout the painting. Most prominently, Iskandar’s mother is shown throwing herself onto his coffin, while Aristotle, his childhood teacher, is shown weeping in the background, both flanked by countless other members of the community who intensely mourn his death.