Deep in the Maghreb in a land that we now call Morocco lived an enlightened ruler named Ibn Abbas. He was famed for his inquiring mind and intellect but most of all he was famed for his travels in the Muslim world. On one of his expeditions he found himself in Rajasthan where he visited the splendid courts of the Mughal rulers in one of which he fell in love with the beautiful Nizam, a daughter of the court of Jodhpur. It was deemed by both parties that a marriage would be of great benefit to their respective houses and after an elaborate wedding ceremony Ibn Abbas brought Nizam back to his palace, The Alqamar. To make her feel at home he had a Mughal style mosque built next to the palace that was designed in such a way with shining white marble that it would shimmer in the moonlight. Nizam and Ibn Abbas spent many evenings wandering the gardens, the warm air gently rustling the leaves of the palms and the gentle sound of water splashing in the fountains and pools...
Well that is the legend but maybe I just saw this in a dream...
Another Orientalist painting this time of an Islamic garden, a subject that I am surprised I haven't done before and in fact has already gave me an idea for another one that I will start very soon. As usual I have given it a back story to give it some bogus reality to what is in essence a fantasy to which end I have combined Moorish and Mughal architectural styles to emphasise that it is just that, a fantasy in the tradition of The Arabian Nights.
Oil on linen 16" x 12".
There is a step-by-step progress through this painting in previous posts on this blog.
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