A Comparative Study of Mitra’s Sacrifice of the Bull with the Battle of Rostam and the White Demon Between the Paintings of Different Periods and Coffee House Paintings

Problem statement: 

There is a similarity between images of the sacrificing of the sacred bull in Mitra’s religion painted in the ancient era and the pictures of Rostam’s battle with the white demon in the images of coffee houses in visual and pictorial characteristics that can be recognized by studying them. This similarity and formal connection is a suitable case for matching and checking the type of composition and the visual and image characteristics of these paintings. Considering that the image of the battle between Rostam and the white demon has some similarities with the scene of the sacrificing bull by Mitra-Mehr, both battles took place in the cave, and in general, the cave was sacred and had an important place in different religions.

By achieving the type of relationships and effects in the elements used in the composition system, such as the type of sitting and standing of figures, guiding lines, and other visual elements, the comparison of works with a qualitative nature has been done.

The type of research is fundamental-theoretical and the research method is descriptive-analytical. Data including the author’s archive were collected the library research method.

The coffee house painters have drawn (the scene of the killing of the white demon by Rostam) according to the previous patterns in the past painters’ works. These effects are evident in the triangular composition system, the sitting position of the figures on the defeated creature (bull and white demon), and the presence of daggers in the hands of Mitra and Rostam. One of the common features of the paintings is the visual representation of the manpower of good and evil. Although the belief in the existence of light and darkness is rooted in the ancient beliefs of Iranians, it seems that the viewpoint of the painters and their attention to good and evil is taken from the Shahnameh.