Introduction

In the “Introduction,” this book discusses its contribution to Iranian art history, drawing from previous studies. Conventional research often fixates on the visual aspects of Iranian paintings and assumes stable meanings within them. This narrow focus unfairly criticizes Qajar-era art for lacking innovation and imitating European styles. The book takes a different stance, asserting that images are not transparent, and while analyzing visual elements is essential, it remains insufficient. To illustrate this argument, the study centers on Qajar paintings, particularly Sani‘ ol-Molk’s illustrations of The Thousand and One Nights, which serve as the primary corpus. Within this focus, the study narrows down further to concentrate on the illustrations of the main story, “Shahrzad and Shahrbaz.”