The artwork titled “That Spring Should Vanish with the Rose, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” is an illustration by Edmund Dulac, a prominent artist associated with the Art Nouveau (Modern) movement. This piece is a part of a series of illustrations for “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam,” a collection of quatrains by Persian polymath Omar Khayyam.
In the artwork, the viewer is presented with a fantastical scene set amidst intricately detailed, barren trees and a twilight ambiance. A youthful, ethereal figure, adorned in delicate attire, appears to be floating or delicately perched among the branches, gazing downwards with an expression that may be interpreted as contemplative or melancholic. Below her, an elderly figure, cloaked in red garments, is shown burdened with a heavy load, trudging along a winding path. The contrasting stages of life depicted in the artwork, combined with the magical atmosphere, evoke a sense of transient beauty and the inevitable passage of time, themes central to Omar Khayyam’s verses. Dulac’s meticulous attention to detail and his ability to convey emotion through the use of color and composition contribute to the hauntingly beautiful nature of the image.
