The Painted Word Sackler Exhibit Reflects Illustrations From Persian Poetry by Serena Lei Persian manuscripts of poetry and prose were often accompanied by intricate illustrations of the text. These paintings and drawings were exquisitely detailed, retelling a story in rich colors and gold ink. Toward the end of the 15th century, picture books of these illustrations with little or no text became increasingly popular. This trend led to individual portraits or single-page drawings that conveyed their own poetry. The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is presenting 32 single folios of illustration from 16th- and 17th-century Iran drawn from its permanent collection and the Art and History Trust collection. These small, intimate drawings are set off by elaborate borders and feature idealized characters, such as beautiful lovers, hunters, religious scholars and young cupbearers. Persian poetry is characterized by metaphor, so it is a natural transition to visual poetry. Many of the pictorial elements, such as certain flowers, are representative of human beauty, while a beautiful woman in turn might convey a more spiritual metaphor. Multiple illustrations can be fou nd on one pageófor example, a beautiful young woman is seated in the center, while the story of a hunter is set in the surrounding border. The Sackler Gallery has provided magnifying glasses so that the audience can fully appreciate the detail in these intricate paintings. Portraiture was also developed during this period. Persian art was typically more abstract in portraiture, emphasizing the more ideal characteristics. However, the influence of European art can be seen in the growing trend of naturalism and perspective, and the exhibit includes a few such examples where the artist depicts their patrons with their natural flaws. One of the masters of illustration was Riza Abbasi (1585-1635), courted by the Safavid elite who became patrons of his artwork. Patrons could collect his single-page compositions and create their own albums. Abbasi was so successful that later artists forged his signature to their works to increase their market value. Several of his illustrations are on display here, as well as paintings by Aqa Mirak and court calligrapher Ali Riza Abbasi. ìVisual Poetry: Paintings and Drawings from Iranî runs through May 5 at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave., SW, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, please call (202) 357-2700 or visit www.asia.si.edu. Serena Lei is an arts writer for The Washington Diplomat.