Persian Painting [Paperback]

Stuart Cary Welch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1996

Rear cover notes: "The sixteenth century saw a flowering of classical painting in Persia. Art flourished under the aegis of the Shahs, and the pages reproduced in this volume represent the most unusual and dazzling miniatures in these Safavid manuscripts. Within settings exquisitely portrayed, a world of great luxury and delicacy unfolds on every folio as palaces open onto fountains and gardens, lovers and warriors sigh or are vanquished - all realized in shimmering, jewellike paintings that delight the eye and please the mind. Stuart Cary Welch, Honorary Curator of Manuscripts at the Harvard College Library and Lecturer in the Fine Arts at Harvard University, traces the historical development of the Safavid Rule and clarifies the fine points of each miniature reproduced here." Softcover, 8 x 11 inches, 127 pages; includes 48 color plates, numerous black & white illustrations, and commentary.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: George Braziller (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807608130
• ISBN-13: 978-0807608135
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,771,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite images from a civilization ignored by the West, January 24, 2002

By 

Robert S. Newman "Bob Newman" (Marblehead, Massachusetts USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Persian Painting (Paperback)

Mention the words "Safavi" or "Safavid" to people in the West and you will most likely get a blank stare in return, but this Iranian dynasty presided over a great cultural flowering in literature and architecture as well as in art. Stuart Cary Welch produced a beautiful introductory guide to some of the beauties of that era, taking illustrations from several famous books and collections of the 16th century height of Safavid glory. While the political history of the time in Iran, Central Asia and Afghanistan (all parts of the Persian world in a cultural sense) was full of battles, massacres, sieges and sudden changes of rule-very much like Europe at the same time-the delicacy of Persian art knew no bounds. Brilliant, jewel-like colors, striking designs, and bold displays of mythical heroes touched in gold and surrounded with the miniature figures of the Persian court world appear on the pages of this book that is guaranteed to satisfy. Chinese-style rocks and trees mingle with Islamic calligraphy and Persian legends. While this book reproduces the illustrations both in full and in detail, the text is only the slightest of introductions to what can be a consuming study for any lover of art at its greatest. Buyers of this book will want to look further. May I suggest Anthony Welch's two books "Artists for the Shah" and "Shah `Abbas and the Arts of Isfahan", "Persian Drawings" by B. W. Robinson, and "Persian Painting" by Basil Gray. Another related volume, a treat for anyone interested in Persian art, would be "Isfahan: Pearl of Persia" by Wilfred Blunt and W. Swan.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, accessible introduction to an exquisite artform, March 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Persian Painting (Paperback)

Stuart Cary Welch is an art historian (I think he taught at Harvard, but I'm not sure) who loves his work, and it clearly shows in this volume. The pictures are exquisite, the reproductions are beautiful, but the best part is the commentary: his only goal is to make the work -- and the stories the pictures tell, for they are all essentially book illustrations -- as much a pleasure to the audience as it was to him. He could not wear his learning more lightly nor with more enthusism, and yet it is clear he must know everything there is to know about this culture. Right after you get this, you'll immediately go right back to Amazon to get a copy of the Shah-Nama, the marvelous epic Iranian poem that so many of the splendid miniatures in this volume illustrate.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great variety of paintings!, January 18, 2011

By 

Anna K. Bjugstad "applegirl5" (Longmont, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Persian Painting (Paperback)

This is my go-to resource for Persian paintings right now. There are color images on every page, as well as close-ups on various details. I wish there were more information; however, strictly as a visual resource, this is fantastic!