Yusuf and Zulaykha

In the upper part of the palace, we see two figures in a rather strange position. From the palace balcony, a lady in an orange robe tries to catch the man in green. Her name is Zulaykha. She is married to a rich Egyptian, who has purchased the young and beautiful slave Yusuf.

Zulaykha finds herself blown away by the beauty of Yusuf and is beyond reason. Yusuf, even though he is supposed to do her bidding, is very reluctant. Desperate to escape, he has put his right hand already on the door in front of him.

Yusuf symbolizes virtue and purity: to fight temptation befits his special status. Yusuf is not only a slave, he is also a prophet. The fiery halo painted round his head is a sure sign of his position. So is his blank face, made invisible on purpose – probably after the painting was completed.

When after the palace chase Zulaykha has to give up on him, she accuses him of attacking her. But the state of his robe saves Yusuf. It has been torn at the back, which proves that she was in pursuit rather than acting in self-defence. But even if he is innocent, Yusuf opts for the safe haven of prison. A lucky decision, for it is here that his career as a seer in service of the Pharaoh starts to roll.

What happens to Zulaykha? That depends on the author. For some, she has served her purpose and ends up as a laughing stock and a symbol of uncontrolled and dangerous desire. For others, she has come to symbolize a true lover in a mystical sense. For true lovers, losing all dignity and utter humiliation are necessary steps on the journey towards a final and purified reunion with the true, divine beloved.