Heaven

Image credit: Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery

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Nash made this wood engraving to illustrate the first English translation of 'Abd-er-Rahman in Paradise' by Jules Tellier, 1928. This story tells of the death of Abd-er-Rhaman in Constantine and his choice of whether to ascend to Christian or Muslim heaven.

It describes his journey through Paradise and the Garden of Delights until eventually he becomes bored of pleasure. The tale has a moral twist, the reader is told that at the end 'the wisest thing to crave at the end of our mortal journey is ... the stillness of sleep'.

This design neatly separates out the various stages of Abd-er Rhaman's journey and by use of overlapping planes suggests his movement from one heaven to another.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery

Exeter

Title

Heaven

Date

1928

Medium

wood engraving on white Japon paper

Measurements

H 25.1 x W 19 cm

Accession number

385/1974/1

Work type

Print

Inscription description

Heaven 385/1974/1 Paul Nash

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Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery

Queen Street, Exeter, Devon EX4 3RX England

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