Functions of Imagination in Illustration of Tahmasebi's Fālnāmeh Based on Gilbert Durand’s Viewpoints: A Case Study: Resurrection Day

Tahmasebi Fālnāmeh is one of the few Iranian works of art that bring together information from various sources and Iranian-Islamic ideals (Shiite and Sufi). The multiplicity of sources shaping the content of this book has led to the production of a work that is variegated and hybrid in its application of visual elements. Since artistic imagination is a crucial factor in the embodiment of reason in the tangible, it is possible to study how meaning is shaped in works of art through techniques inspired by the analysis of imagination. In this paper, one of the methods of imagination-oriented analysis proposed by Gilbert Durand has been adopted to analyze an illustration in Tahmasebi Fālnāmeh. The research data was obtained by observing and decomposing the image into its components. Also, the information required for analysis was also attained from library research before applying Durand’s imagination method of analysis. The results indicate that the artist of the illustration has drawn on all twelve structures explained by the Durand to express the theme of immortality in his portray of Resurrections Day.