The Figural Composition and Subject in Iranian Miniatures: A case study of Shah Tahmasb's Shahnama

Shah Tahmasb’s Shahnama, one of the richest collections of Persian painting, has been a valuable source of images for researchers. Cooperation of the famous Persian artists participating in the preparation of this manuscript has demonstrated the importance of this piece of art. The purpose of this article is to find a visual based on the connection between the subject and the composition concerning paintings in this manuscript. In this study, there are two important questions; how is the configuration influenced by the subject in each miniature and has there been a specific pattern for designers to follow in order to start painting for each topic? An analytical - comparative method of research along with fieldwork- library data collection has been chosen. In this study, first, all images have been categorized based on their topics and then structure analysis of all images has been done to achieve the main composition for each miniature. In the next stage, a set of basic patterns is achieved using Gestalt theory and the comparative data leads to the formation of a specific structure.