A Comparative Study of the Sheikh Sanan Story in the Mantegh-al Teyr of Atar and Timurid Paintings

Sheikh Sanan is amongst one of the oldest stories in Persian literature which is also considered as one of the well-known narrations of Atar’s Mantegh al Teyr. This allegoric story is full of theological concepts which painters from various eras especially during the Timurid era have contributed in its illustration. In this story, the poet expresses his thoughts and views through literary techniques with the use of storylike elements and imagination. Understanding and comparing the mutual elements of the text with that of the illustrations and the influence that these two features have on each other will ultimately cause an enhanced perception and criticism of the images in hand. This paper follows a descriptive and analytical methodology and by analyzing a number of the paintings of the story of Sheikh Sanan in the Herat school, the relationship between the scripts of the poet with that of the illustration techniques will be studied upon. This analysis confirms that the painter in addition to narrating the story by perceiving the desires of the poet and applied concepts, seeks to illustrate such notions. In all, there is a constant harmony between the paintings and the story which is all due to the creativity and novelty of the painter.