Iskender Encounters the Hermit

The painting depicts Iskender, on horseback, gesturing toward a solitary figure standing in the foreground, who is identified as a hermit. The scene is set in a vibrant landscape with stylized, craggy rocks in shades of blue, green, and orange, surrounding a central grassy clearing. Iskender wears a gold-embroidered tunic and a turban with an aigrette, while his companions—a group of mounted courtiers and standing attendants—are dressed in colorful robes and turbans. A large, rectangular panel of Nasta'liq script is prominently placed in the upper portion of the composition, framed by the rocky terrain.

This scene illustrates an episode from the 'Iskender-nama' (Book of Alexander) by Nizami Ganjavi, reflecting the Persian tradition of romanticized, philosophical accounts of Alexander the Great's conquests and his search for wisdom.