PERSIAN SKETCHES

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Criterion (i): The Persian Garden represents a masterpiece of human creative genius. The design of the Persian Garden, based on the right angle and geometrical proportions, is often divided into four sections known as Chahar Bagh (Four Gardens). The creation of the Persian Garden was made possible due to intelligent and innovative engineering solutions and a sophisticated water-management system, as well as the appropriate choice of flora and its location in the garden layout. Indeed, the Persian Garden has been associated with the idea of earthly Paradise, forming a stark contrast to its desert setting.

Throughout its domination, Persian art was influenced by Sumerian Art, Greek Art, and especially Chinese Art. The impact of traditional Chinese characteristics became visible in the creation of Persian miniatures, which existed as small paintings that were done on paper as either a book illustration or an individual work of art. These miniatures were made to be kept in an album of miniature works known as a muraqqa.Today, Persian art miniatures encompass some of the most significant Persia paintings from that period of art history.But in closing, I will just quote LLJ. "In Iran prose histories and verse histories, written or orally transmitted, were often based on the same historical materials (best not call them 'facts') and were crafted into diverse versions or readings of 'the past'; one version did not have supremacy over another since all shared a place in the Iranians' transmission of their 'history'. What happened in the past, or what is said to have happened, or indeed, what might have happened in the past or never happened at all, was permitted a space in the Persian understanding of the pre-Islamic era." What I was hoping for was a great book on Persian history. What I got was a continuation of this fine tradition of blending fact with fiction. Prior to the appearance of the Achaemenid Era, Persian culture was in its more formative stages of development. Therefore, with the rise of each empire, Persian art was slowly influenced by the influx of different cultures and ideas. Behzād was regarded as an important influence on the development of miniature painting, which went on to be considered a great Persian tradition. One of his well-known miniature portraits, which he painted in 1500, was his Portrait of a Dervish, which displays the intricate detail that he included within his paintings.

I finished this book with a greater appreciation of the Achaemenid dynasty, especially of the bureaucratic processes developed to deal with a diverse and widespread empire. The main characteristic found in art from the Parthian Era was an inevitable return to architecture and a frontality in art. Ancient Persian paintings and sculptures no longer featured images of people from their side profile only, as they were replaced with statuary images that confronted viewers head-on. When considering the development of Persian art, the artworks created can stylistically be represented as a blend of Native Persian traditions with Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and classic Greek and Roman art. This was because as each new culture appeared in Persia, the art that emerged borrowed heavily from the culture of older civilizations. Despite this borrowing, each external influence that appeared in Persian art was understood and translated in a uniquely Persian way to create the extraordinary art that existed. Due to the restriction placed on portraying three-dimensional living things, the creation of figure drawing and painting began to diminish. However, a popular Islamic art form that soon replaced drawing was Illumination. Developed in Persia, Illumination referred to the decoration of manuscripts and religious texts, in particular the Koran.I appreciated the way the author shares what is known versus what is thought to be, it feels an honest telling of an amazing people. The epilogue tells us where the Persians are today. If you enjoy well-told and insightful history, don’t miss this one! It’s a four out of five on the enJOYment scale. Archers frieze from Darius’ palace at Susa,ca. 510 BC; Louvre Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The author of the manuscript, now held at Princeton University's Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, credits their knowledge of these demonic beings to the Biblical Solomon, who was known for his influence over demons and other spirits. This manuscript was likely used by a divination expert in Isfahan, a city in Iran where the illustrations were uncovered. Criterion (iii): The Persian Garden bears exceptional, and even unique, testimony to the cultural traditions that have evolved in Iran and the Middle East over some two and a half millennia. Throughout its evolution, the Persian Garden has had a role in various cultural and social aspects of society, becoming a central feature in private residences, palaces and public buildings, as well as in ensembles associated with benevolent or religious institutions, such as tombs, park layouts, palace gardens, Meidans, etc.The Compendium features a disturbing index of hair-raising demons of all shapes and sizes drawn in watercolor, in addition to what appear to be graphic demonstrations of satanic rituals. All of our upcoming public events and our St Pancras building tours are going ahead. Read our latest blog post about planned events for more information.

This book was about the Achaemenid dynasty of Kings that ruled most of the known world for 2 generations. From Cyrus the Great, Darius, Xerxes, the various Artaxerxes' to Darius III who was eventually defeated by Iskandar (Alexander).Isabella studied at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English Literature & Language and Psychology. Throughout her undergraduate years, she took Art History as an additional subject and absolutely loved it. Building on from her art history knowledge that began in high school, art has always been a particular area of fascination for her. From learning about artworks previously unknown to her, or sharpening her existing understanding of specific works, the ability to continue learning within this interesting sphere excites her greatly. Calligraphy existed alongside Illumination, with both forms of art eventually becoming known as Iranian art specialties. After the fall of the Achaemenid Empire in 330 BCE to Alexander the Great, Persian art was soon replaced by the Parthian Era. This existed as a temporary stage between the First and Second Persian Empire and ended up spanning from about 247 BCE until 224 CE. This led to an uncomplimentary mix of Greek and Iranian motifs in the art that was created, with Greek culture dominating momentarily. These notable elements set out an aesthetic custom for court manufactories to follow when weaving carpets. These traditions were kept alive throughout the entire period of the Persian Empire and lasted as far as the existence of the very last royal dynasty of Iran. An example of one of these exceptional Safavid carpets, now housed in Copenhagen, Denmark, is the Coronation Carpet that was woven during the 17 th century.