TEHRAN – Ashura-themed works by impressionist painter Hassan Ruholamin will be showcased in an exhibition at Tehran’s Art Garden next week.

The center will hang a collection of 23 works by the artist, who is best known for his paintings on early Islamic historical events, from September 11 to 27.

The exhibition named “The Images of the Truthful” will be organized to observe Arbaeen, which marks the end of the 40-day mourning period following the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and his loyal companions on Ashura. 

One of the works is “Daddy” depicting the Imam in his final farewell to his three-year-old daughter Roqayyeh (SA).

He unveiled a picture of the painting on his Instagram earlier in August. The 110 X 130-centimeter oil painting shows the Imam embracing Roqayyeh before going to the battlefield while his horse, named “Zuljinah”, and the enemy forces can be seen in the background.

The collection also includes “The Sky Fell Down”, “The Farewell”, “After Abbas (AS)”, “Are You My Brother?”, “Monastery of the Monk” and “Beginning of Silence”.

“The Sky Fell Down”, featuring the last moments of the life of Imam Hussein (AS), is a highlight of the collection.

The painting depicts the Imam on his horse, severely injured by arrows, while the enemy is waiting to bring down the Imam. 

Ruholamin spent nine months doing the painting, which was unveiled at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in November 2018.

“Monastery of the Monk” is another artwork from his Ashura collection.

The painting depicts the meeting of a monk with Khawli ibn Yazid al-Asbahi, a member of Umar ibn Sad’s army, when he was taking the head of Imam Hussein (AS) to Yazid ibn Muawiya, the second caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, after the Ashura event.

The artist has also blended modern events and with stories from Islamic history in some of his works.

The exhibition will also put on view several teahouse paintings on Ashura by Abbas Bolukifar and Mohammadreza Mohammad-Hosseini.

“The Images of the Truthful” first was organized in October 2020 at the Khial Gallery of the Saba Art and Cultural Institute in Tehran. 

Photo: A file photo shows impressionist painter Hassan Ruholamin posing in front of his work “The Sky Fell Down”.

MMS/YAW