Rhazes Examines a Boy

What it is

This is a colour print made in 1964 by the Iranian artist Hossein Behzad. It was presented by the University of Tehran and the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the birth of Razi, the Persian physician, chemist and philosopher. It is now held by the Wellcome Collection.

Why it matters

The print does not come from Rhazes's own lifetime — it was created centuries later as a tribute to his memory. It shows how he was remembered and celebrated in the 20th century as a founding figure of medicine, imagined examining a boy in a richly furnished clinic filled with jars and books.

Look closer

• What details in the room suggest this is a place of medical learning?
• Why might an artist in 1964 want to imagine this scene rather than copy an old portrait?
• What does this image tell us about how later generations wanted to honour Rhazes, rather than about his actual appearance?