History of Iranian Painting: from the Beginning to the Present

Iranians have shown different reactions to the socio-political and consequently cultural-artistic transformations perpetuated by the migrants and invaders; the Iranian art and culture reacted vehemently to the invading Greeks in the fourth century BC; the invasion of Arabs in the seventh century AD and that of Mongols in the thirteenth century AD and finally has managed to absorb the culture and art of the invading nations into itself. Although non-Iranian cultures had significant influences on the art and culture of this country, Iranian art still maintains a unique voice. Although Iranian artists were mostly mystics from especially the Achaemenian period, they have shown their interests in the material world without losing the trace of beauty in simplicity.
The book is in seven chapters introducing the following topics: Iran in the course of history; the Saljuqids and the Ilkhanids’ art, the Timurids’ art, the Safavids’ art, the Afsharids’ art, the Zandis and the Qajarids, the Pahlavids’ art, and the post-revolutionary art. There are colorful as well as black and white images in the book.