Exhibition:
The Song of the World:
The Art of Safavid Iran, 1501–1736
31 October 2007 - 07 January 2008

Organised by:
Louvre Museum
Rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris
France

Tel: 01 40 20 53 17
Recorded information: 01 40 20 51 51

With a sumptuous array of works, this exhibition outlines the evolution of art in Iran under the Safavid Dynasty (1501–1736). Visual arts are inextricably linked to the written word in Iranian culture, and the ultimate theme remains the greatness of the world, a divine creation.

This relationship, which is evident in both painting and decorative arts, whose motifs translate literary metaphors, intensified during the Safavid period. Often misunderstood, Iranian art may give the impression of being devoted to decoration alone. All the details, however, are steeped in meaning. The key to their interpretation is found in Persian literature. The pre-Islamic past is omnipresent in this ancient 4,000-year-old civilization.

Web Links: The Song of the World: Louvre Museum, Paris


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