Visual and Historical Investigation
• Describe, in detail, the visual narratives.
• Relate the specific visual narratives to the story/text
• Relate the story and visual narratives to historical context (including religion and artistic production as aspects of history) as understood through the course
materials
• Compare the visual narratives/paintings to those in another manuscript or story, or to other paintings from the same story/manuscript and discuss whether there appears to be set iconography or whether different artists and workshops have made other choices
• Consider why the stories that are chosen for book production change or stay consistent over time, why illustrated events and episodes change or stay consistent, and why depictions and compositions change or stay consistent
• Consider how the intended audience/readership contributes to subject matter, artistic style, materials, and other features in historical context.
List of Manuscripts/Stories
Matiq al-Tayir (Congress of the Birds)
Kalila wa Dimna
Jami al-Tawarikh (Compendium of Chronicles/World History)
Majma al-Tavarikh, (Compendium of Histories)
Siyar-i Nabi (Life of the Prophet)
Tarjuma-i Thawaqib-i manaqib (Translation of the Stars of the Legend)
Maqamat (Assemblies) of al-Hariri
Miraj (Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad)
Shahnameh (Persian Book of Kings)
Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami
