Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PAINTING
The earliest known distinctively Persian style of painting dates back to the Seljuk period
(1051-1220) and is often referred to as the Baghdad School. Early painting was mainly
used to decorate Qurans and pottery, and during the Mongol period (1220-1335) all sorts
of manuscripts, especially poetry books.
In the 16th century an important school of Persian art developed in Tabriz, under the
guidance of Sultan Mohammed, and its distinctive designs and patterns also influenced car-
pet design. Persian painting reached its apex under the Safavids, when Shah Abbas I turned
Esfahan into a centre for the arts. The demise of the Safavids deprived artists of their pat-
rons, and coincided with growing influences from India and Europe. Persian artists rarely
signed their works so little is known about most artists.
