Bahram Gur and Azadeh

The lyrical paintings of this poetic cycle depict love stories from the classic works of celebrated Iranian poets, biblical and Qur'anic episodes, and hunting vignettes. Collectively, they are valuable documents of the original architectural formats and narrative programs of eighteenth-century domestic interiors. Such works were viewed as visual complements for poetry that the host, his guests, or storytellers would recite to entertain each other at convivial gatherings in intimate settings. Although the compositions of these works are derived from manuscript painting, their treatment differs considerably: the scale of the figures in relation to the background is larger, while the number of figures and degree of ornamental patterning is reduced.