The Painting of Omar Khayyam's Tomb

What it is

This watercolor was painted by the British artist William Simpson (1823–1899), showing a ruined colonnaded courtyard with a tall blue dome behind it, and robed figures walking across the pavement. It depicts the tomb site of the poet and mathematician Omar Khayyam as it looked in the 19th century.

Why it matters

This painting is a historical record of what Khayyam's burial site looked like before it was replaced by the modern mausoleum built in the 20th century. It shows how Western travelers and artists documented sites connected to famous Eastern figures, and offers a rare visual link to the tomb's earlier, more weathered state.

Look closer

• What details in the painting suggest this site had fallen into disrepair?
• Why might a Victorian artist have traveled to paint this particular tomb?
• How does this image compare to the modern mausoleum built later?