(Illustration for Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám) The Invitation
1883-1884
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase and gift from Elizabeth W. Henderson in memory of her husband Francis Tracy Henderson
Accession Number
1978.108.9
Tags
Art Historical Context
Elihu Vedder's *The Invitation* (1883–1884) is a captivating drawing from his renowned series of illustrations for EdwardGerald's English translation of the *Rubiyát of Omar Khayyám*, the 11th-century Persian poet's verses celebrating life's fleeting pleasures amid themes of mortality and ecstasy. Created during Vedder's mature phase in Rome, where he immersed himself in Eastern mysticism and Symbolist aesthetics, this work exemplifies his dreamlike style—blending Pre-Raphael precision with ethereal, allegorical forms. The waist-length figure evokes an intimate summons to embrace existence, s...
About the Artist
Elihu Vedder · 1836–1923
Elihu Vedder was born on February 26, 1836, in New York City to Dr. Elihu Vedder Sr., a dentist, and his cousin Elizabeth Vedder. As a young boy, his family relocated to Cuba for his father's ventures, an experience that sparked his artistic aspirations amid the Caribbean landscapes. He later divided his time between a boarding school and his maternal grandfather Alexander Vedder's home in Schenec...