Zakariya Razi

What it is

This painting, created in 1961 by the Iranian artist Hossein Behzad, imagines al-Razi as an old bearded man in a robe, examining a round flask held in his raised hand. It is done in white-line ink on a dark brown ground, framed by swirling light strokes.

Why it matters

Hossein Behzad was a well-known twentieth-century Iranian painter. His imagined depiction reflects how al-Razi is remembered in Iran as a great scientist and alchemist, even though no real portrait of him exists. The flask hints at his chemical experiments.

Look closer

• What does the flask suggest about which part of al-Razi's work the artist wanted to highlight?
• Why might a modern Iranian artist choose to paint a historical Persian scholar in this swirling, dreamlike style?
• What is missing from this image that a true portrait would need?