Yahya ibn Mahmud al-Wasiti

Biography

Al-Wasiti was probably born in Wasit, south of Baghdad.Jonathan Bloom and Sheila S. Blair (eds), Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture, Oxford University Press, 2009, p.210; Kember, P. (ed.), Benezit Dictionary of Asian Artists, Oxford University Press, 2012, In 1237 he transcribed and illustrated a copy of al-Hariri's Maqamat typically shortened to Maqamat, and also known as the Assemblies, a series of anecdotes of social satire written by Al-Hariri of Basra. Al-Wasiti's illustrations, which are among the finest examples of a style used in the 13th-century, served as an inspiration for the modern Baghdad art movement in the 20th-century.

Very little is known about his life. He was from the 13th century school of painting. He was known for his articulate painting style.

Illustrations from ''Maqamat''

In total, Maqmat has 96 illustrations, all by al-Wasiti. They are of "outstanding quality with fine composition, expressive figures, and vivid but controlled colours" and provide readers with "fascinating series of glimpses into and commentaries on 13th-century Islāmic life."

File:Ruler in Turkic dress (long braids, fur hat, boots, fitting coat), in the Maqamat of al-Hariri, 1237 CE, probably Baghdad.jpg|Left frontispiece (1v): ruler in Turkic dress (long braids, Sharbush fur hat, boots, fitting coat), in the Maqamat of al-Hariri, 1237 CE, possibly Baghdad. File:Possible depiction of al-Hariri, in the Maqamat of al-Hariri, 1237 CE, probably Baghdad.jpg|Right frontispiece (2r): possible depiction of the author al-Hariri himself, in the Maqamat of al-Hariri, 1237 CE, possibly Baghdad. File:Yahyâ ibn Mahmûd al-Wâsitî 001.jpg|Maqama 10: Ayyubid Governor of Rahba, with Abū Zayd and his son. File:Yahyâ ibn Mahmûd al-Wâsitî 003.jpg|Maqama 39: the Queen of Oman giving birth. File:Yahyâ ibn Mahmûd al-Wâsitî 002.jpg File:Yahyâ ibn Mahmûd al-Wâsitî 006.jpg File:Yahyâ ibn Mahmûd al-Wâsitî 007.jpg File:Yahyâ ibn Mahmûd al-Wâsitî 004.jpg File:Yahyâ ibn Mahmûd al-Wâsitî 005.jpg File:Harîrî Schefer - BNF Ar5847 f.51.jpg| File:Al-Wasiti-Discussion near a village.jpg| File:Qadi Abbasid - Maqamat Harir 1237.jpg|

References

Sources

• • Translated as
• Al Maqamat: Beautifully Illustrated Arabic Literary Tradition – 1001 Inventions

References

1. (1991). "The Monument: Art, Vulgarity, and Responsibility in Iraq". University of California Press.
2. (2013). "Palestinian Art". Reaktion Books.
3. (2010). "Explorers: Tales of Endurance and Exploration". Penguin.
4. "The Illustrations of the Maqamat". University of Chicago Press.
5. [[Jonathan Bloom]] and [[Sheila S. Blair]] (eds), ''Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture,'' Oxford University Press, 2009, p.294
6. Wijdan, A. (ed.), ''Contemporary Art From The Islamic World,'' p.166
7. "Yaḥyā ibn Maḥmūd al-Wāsiṭī," in: ''Encyclopædia Britannica,'' [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/651229/Yahya-ibn-Mahmud-al-Wasiti Online:]
8. "Yaḥyā ibn Maḥmūd al-Wāsiṭī," in: ''Encyclopædia Britannica,'' [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yahya-ibn-Mahmud-al-Wasiti Online:]
9. (2017). "A Turk in the Dukhang? Comparative Perspectives on Elite Dress in Medieval Ladakh and the Caucasus". Austrian Academy of Science Press.
10. {{harvnb. Contadini. 2012