Monks in Tabriz Cloister at Dawn

Soft overcast light fills the stone arcade of a cloister in Tabriz, illuminating the rough texture of weathered arches and the cool gray of the paved ground. A line of monks in dark robes walks single file along the right edge of the frame, their figures silhouetted against the pale sky visible through the colonnade. Late spring leaves, scattered across the floor, skitter in sudden gusts that disturb the otherwise still air. The heavy wool of the garments drapes heavily over their shoulders, against the smooth, curved lines of the masonry. Dust motes hang suspended in the diffuse light, while the shadows stretch long and soft across the stone, ending at the rough edge of a crumbling pillar base.