Examining the Mystical Illustration "Majnun among the Wild Beasts, Khamsa of Nizami" from the Perspective of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Based upon the Principle of Correspondence between the Macrocosm and Microcosm

Articles in Press

Authors

1 P.h.D student of art research,Faculty of Theoretical Sciences and Advanced Art Studies, University of Art, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor.Faculty of Theoretical Sciences and Advanced Art Studies, University of Art, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor.Faculty of Theoretical Sciences and Advanced Art Studies, University of Art, Tehran

Abstract

According to some researchers, the connection between Islamic art and mystical teachings appears evident, yet studies in this area have not sufficiently addressed this relationship, particularly within the realm of Persian miniature painting. Understanding and examining the prevailing intellectual traditions within the worldview of the artists can offer a deeper insight into the artworks. Tradition links humanity to its origin like a thread. In the traditional perspective, which is rooted in tradition and divine revelation, it was believed that both the universe and humanity are manifestations of the Divine, with the universe being as the macrocosm and humanity as the microcosm. This perspective introduces another principle: the correspondence between the macrocosm and the microcosm. This study focuses on a Safavid-era miniature titled "Majnun among the Wild Beasts," housed at the British Museum in London, and aspires to examine the hypothesis that this principle influenced the creation of the artwork. From the point of view of correspondence between the macrocosm and the microcosm, in Ibn Arabi's opinion, what are the characteristics of Majnun among the Wild Beasts?The method of collecting information is the library-documentary method and observation. It is a collection tool, an ID tab and a search in internet databases. In this painting, the exact comparison of the manifestations of nature with the state of the Majnun has a lot to think about. The results of the research show that according to traditional beliefs, painters see the world as symbolic and consider phenomena as verses. It is as if the painter takes the audience from the face to the realm of meaning by using the elements of nature and describes the mystical course with a code language. Majnun is created by the artist as a manifestation of the small world and the desert, and the elements within it as manifestations of the big world corresponding to Majnun, to indicate hidden meanings about man's place in the world and his relationship with God. "Majnun" represents the seeker of "love," and the artist focuses on depicting the mystical concepts of love and separation, portraying the human condition and its wandering in the world through symbols and their interactions in the form of " Majnun among the Wild Beasts ".

Keywords

Journal of Iranian Handicrafts Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 04 November 2024

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