VISUAL STORYTELLING. "Every Picture Tells a Story: Persian Narrative Painting," an exhibit of Persian paintings from the 14th through 19th centuries, is featured at the Portland Art Museum through July 27. Pictured is an image from the Safavid period (1502-1726), ca. 1530, ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, gift of Dr. and Mrs. Edwin Binney 3rd. (Photo/Paul Foster, courtesy of the Portland Art Museum)

From The Asian Reporter, V18, #10 (March 4, 2008), page 15 & 20.

PAM’s Persian narrative paintings

By Ronault L.S. Catalani

When we were young, and only when we were good, our Elder Auntie Kris gave us a little glimpse inside two very old and very sacred books our big family entrusted to her stern care — a Holy Qur’an and a Holy Bible. When she opened the former, our eyes fell on the hand-painted lapis lazuli of our night sky. And in hushed Arabic, in gold as precious as distant stars, there was the Name of God, in unspeakable glory.

When Auntie raised her heavy Holy Bible, sometimes it opened to a full-page picture from the time of Noah, other times it opened to a deed of King David, but always it filled our senses with the colors of those earlier epochs, the hues and tones of times we believed God hovered nearer.

Those are the feelings — of reverence for awe- inspired art and for the haze of antiquity — evoked by the Portland Art Museum’s current exhibit, "Every Picture Tells a Story: Persian Narrative Painting." But it’s not all whispers. The subjects on the page are often less-than-heavenly in their attitudes. In fact, in behavior they’re frequently quite barbaric. That’s how it was with heroes of Olde.

According to the Portland Art Museum’s Asian exhibits curator, Dr. Maribeth Graybill, the grand Persian artistic tradition modestly represented by the 26 masterpieces featured in "Every Picture Tells a Story" drew from a vast geographic and cultural landscape stretching from the chilly Caspian Sea in modern-day Russia, south to contemporary Saudi Arabia, reaching east to the Indus Valley of what is now the Republic of Pakistan. It was a rough and tumble place and time, about 500 years of constant contest between Mongol, Turk, Aryan, and Afghan tribal alliances.

It was an era of vigorous Islamic faith, law, and culture — all of it in Koranic Arabic. But for secular purposes, Dr. Graybill says, probably in a bid for high-brow legitimacy, competing political elites of those warring centuries adopted classic Persian literary and artistic traditions. It seems booty-rich princes were keen to commission sumptuously illustrated and calligraphied editions of Persian epics.

Among the classic big hits, an apparent favorite was Hakim Abol-Qasem Ferdowsi Tusi’s poetic rendition of Shahnameh (Book of Kings). As a practical matter, the epic worked well for smart warlords. Archetypal tales often star superheroes, loyal horses, bad dragons, conniving rivals, and of course, devious ladies.

They are still terrific art, if no longer novel in plot.

For its iconic presentation, as well as for a much loftier message, a scene from the travels of Sufi Muslim mystic Sa’di seems a museum visitor favorite. In exquisitely detailed painting and caption, we’re told Master Sa’di had boarded a ferry, but had left behind a penniless old Sufi. Under sail, the Master wept with compassion for that raggedy elder, that is, until a hoarse laugh raised his head. Now we catch the old Sufi riding his humble prayer rug across wave tops. Kawasaki Jet-Ski style.

"A boat brought thee! And, God me!" the windblown old man shouts as he passes us all, sailboat passengers and exhibit viewers alike.

The Portland Art Museum is the west coast’s oldest institution of its kind. Museum management has been busy collecting Asian art since 1892. A little more than 10 years ago, the museum converted its first floor into a suite of four galleries designed to exhibit art from its large Asian collection. The move has allowed separate galleries dedicated to the arts of China, Japan, and Korea. Over the last four years, museum staff added two more rooms, specifically to showcase Chinese art from the Neolithic to the modern eras. The Portland Art Museum’s purchased and gifted collection today totals nearly 4,000 objects of fine art.

In May, an illustrated lecture by Sussan Babaie, Ph.D., a native of Iran and scholar of Persian and Islamic art, will be held. "Reading Persian Paintings" offers a virtual tour through the complex and gorgeous world of Persian painting, and will be held on Sunday, May 18 at 2:00pm. Space is limited and tickets are required. To obtain tickets, call (503) 226-0973.

"Every Picture Tells a Story: Persian Narrative Painting" is on display through July 27. To learn more about the exhibit, Persian narrative art, or other Asian works housed at the Portland Art Museum, visit <www.portlandartmuseum.org>.