Space in Persian Painting with Emphasis on the Artworks of Kamal Al Din Behzad

Persian painting bestows many visual features among them the concept of space is a significant and highly momentous element; thus, Persian artists apply various visual elements to bring out creativity in creating the desired space. The focal element in this paper is the introduction and investigation of exemplar spaces in Persian painting particularly in the painting school of Herat with a specific emphasis on the works of Kamal Al Din Behzad.  In this school of painting, the avoidance of symmetrical patterns permits the painter to visualize and create various spaces with diverse purposes. In the works of Kamal al Din Behzad, space is two dimensional and has depth; furthermore, it endures both harmony and discord and within each specific space an inimitable and self-regulating event takes place. In this paper, a number of Behzad’s artworks are selected and the distinctive spaces that are created by lines and color enhancements are analyzed; moreover, it is indisputable that such spaces embody explanatory and sentimental aspects. In the works of this school, space and composition are fabricated out of diagonal and circular elements. The paper initiates with an introduction on the school of Herat, next a definition of space is presented and finally selected works of Behzad are elaborated upon.