(Illustration for Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám) The Magdalen
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
1978.108.42
Tags
Art Historical Context
Elihu Vedder, a leading American artist of the Aesthetic Movement, crafted this striking drawing, *The Magdalen*, 1883 and 1884 as part of his celebrated illustrations for Edward FitzGerald English translation of the *Rubáiyát of Omarayyám*. The *Rubáiyát*, a collection of Persian quatrains exploring themes of love, mortality, and fleeting joy, Vedder's imaginative visual interpretations, blending Eastern mysticism with symbolism. His edition, published in 1884, became a in American book illustration, showcasing Vedder's Pre-Raphaelite influences through luminous detail and dreamlike atmospher...
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...