Rahpooye Honar-Ha-Ye Tajassomi

Rahpooye Honar-Ha-Ye Tajassomi

Analysis of the concepts and visual characteristics of the image of Gabriel in the paintings of Yusuf and Zuleikha manuscript at the Walters Museum in Baltimore

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Art research, Faculty of Architecture, Isfahan (Khorasgan), Islamic Azad University of Isfahan, Iran.
2 Boss and Associate Professor, Department of Art ,Isfahan University of Art
3 Associate Professor, Faculty of Architecture, Isfahan (Khorasgan), Islamic Azad University of Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
One of the most important signs of the influence and impact of two lands on each other is language. Before the reign of the Mughals, the Persian language was common in India due to the extensive contacts between the two countries, and many Persian words and phrases were borrowed by the Indians. In the 10th century AH, the Persian language was used as the official language of India, and many cultural, historical, and scientific works were written in this language. During the Mughal Empire, broader cultural and artistic relations with Iran emerged. With Mughals' rise to power with the help of the Safavid kings, and the cultural-political migrations that took place during this period, Mughal artists began to create novel works under the influence of Persian language and Iranian culture, art, and thought. The works left by the artists of this period were a combination of Indian, Iranian and European styles, and the traces of Iranian art in the painting of the manuscripts of Babur-nama, Akbar-nama, Hamza-nama, Jahangir-nama, etc. are more visible under the influence and adaptation of Iranian artists with the peaks and valleys in book layouts during the reign of this dynasty. Since literature and art have common roots in the two cultures, they have a direct relationship with paintings of manuscripts and have established a deep connection between poets and painters. One of the poets whose poems have received the most attention is Jami, whose Haft Awrang manuscript was composed between 875-892 AH in the seven masnavis of the Silsilat al-zahab, Salaman and Absal, Tuhfat al-Ahrar, Subhat al-Abrar, Yusuf and Zulaykha, Layli and Majnun and Khirad-name Iskandari in the form of a Masnavi. The story of Yusuf and Zuleikha is one of the few stories that has a special place in Quran and Torat and has been versified by many Persian-speaking poets such as Nizami, Jami, etc. It has also been illustrated by artists in many cultures based on their civilization and art. The illustrated version of Yusuf and Zuleikha, owned by the Walters Museum, is one of those valuable copies of the Mughal Indian, and its paintings are appropriate and in line with the content and theme of Jami's poems. In addition to the deep knowledge and connection that the Mughal painter had with Persian literature, it has established a very precious connection with the culture and civilization of Iran. The close connection between painting and literary works and the use of the common aspect of imagination in literature and painting have led the painter to go beyond the poet's imagination to convey the obvious or hidden meanings and concepts that the poet expressed using words, terms, and arrangements, and to depict an original work in a different way of expression using lines, colors, spatial structures, etc. An angel is a phenomenon influenced by the power of imagination in order to harmonize with God and the universe. It has a close connection with sacred concepts, and in different religions, it provides access to the kingdom. As one of the closest divine angels and a messenger of revelation, Gabriel has played a prominent role in religious narratives such as stories related to the Prophet Yusuf. The study of the content and structure of the image of Gabriel in the four paintings of this manuscript with different narratives shows a significant contribution to understanding the close relationship between Iranian and Indian literature and also the influence of Iranian literature on Indian paintings. The aim of this research is to analyze the concepts and structural features of the image of Gabriel based on the content of the paintings. In line with this research, which was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method and is based on library and electronic studies, these questions are raised: what was the effect of visual and structural elements on inducing the concept and position of Gabriel in the paintings? What is the relationship between the differences of the image of Gabriel in the paintings and its concepts? In line with the aim of the research, first the concepts and meanings were matched based on the verbal text with the visual text, and then the formal and structural features were described and examined and analyzed in separate tables. Structural analysis of the image of Gabriel in the paintings shows that the painter, with sufficient knowledge of Gabriel's special characteristics, including the type of creation, his status with God, being the messenger of divine revelation, and his role in narrations, and by preserving the content and theme, representing the elements of the text in the visual structure of the paintings, and considering the culture and art of the Mughal, succeeded in creating continuity and solidarity between the texts in depicting this exalted angel in the paintings, and conveyed the content of the narrative and the hidden message well in the image.
Keywords

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List of electronic resources
URL1: https://art.thewalters.org/object/W.646/
URL2: https://thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/html/W646/
URL3: https://art.thewalters.org/object/W.646.7B/
URL4: https://art.thewalters.org/object/W.646.59B/
URL5: https://art.thewalters.org/object/W.646.68B
URL6: https://art.thewalters.org/object/W.646.170B
Volume 8, Issue 2
Spring 2025
Pages 5-16

  • Receive Date 01 March 2025
  • Accept Date 01 July 2025