A Visual Analysis of the Seventh Labor of Rostam in the Shiraz and Baysonghori Shahnameh

works of the Ferdowsi; however, the main element in this story is its visual features which can be seen in the two illustrated manuscripts studied in this paper. In Persian paintings, images created for one story are typically the same; nevertheless, there are a number of dissimilarities which reflects the taste and themes of each era and also the artistic talent of the painters.In this paper, two Shahnamehs are studied upon which include the Shiraz Shahnameh (733/ 1333 AD) and the Baysonghori Shahnameh (833/1430 AD). The main reason behind the selection of the mentioned manuscripts is that the Shiraz Shahnameh is one of the oldest existing copies of the Shahnameh which reflects the artistic features of the Shiraz school and illustrates scenes of history and epic precisely. Furthermore, the Baysonghori Shahnameh reflects the promotion of an official and systematic style and follows the artistic values of the Herat School. The results of this paper indicate that despite many visual similarities between the two manuscripts, there are a number of distinctions. These dissimilarities include differences in visual outlooks, color selection and border designs. This paper initially seeks to introduce the manuscripts and then attempts to analyze visual features. In order to accomplish this a descriptive and analytic methodology was carried out and historical records and documentation and also library research were carefully focused upon.