Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elham Etemadi, Head of the Department of Textile and Fashion Design at ARUCAD, has published a book examining the illustrations in The Thousand and One Nights by Abol-Hassan Khan Sani‘ ol-Molk Ghaffari (1813/1814-1867), one of Iran’s most prominent painters. Released by the prestigious academic publisher Springer Nature (Palgrave Macmillan), the book focuses on the artwork related to the primary story of The Thousand and One Nights, the tale of Scheherazade and Shahryar, and includes a codicological analysis of the manuscript.
In this study, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Etemadi explores how Sani‘ ol-Molk Ghaffari complexifies the visual framework within his work, examining the relationship between the objects in the illustrations and their external meanings, demonstrating how the images convey meanings beyond the narrative. The book reveals that the artist’s visual strategies enrich the narrative by adding layers of meaning to the events depicted. Additionally, this work features some rare, previously unpublished illustrations, offering a significant contribution to art history.
The publication of Etemadi’s comprehensive study by Springer Nature, a globally respected publisher, represents a valuable contribution to international art history literature. This work marks an important development in studies of both Iranian painting and The Thousand and One Nights.
About Springer Nature Publishing
Springer Nature is a German-British academic publishing company established in 2015 through the merger of Springer Science+Business Media with Holtzbrinck Publishing Group’s Nature Publishing Group, Palgrave Macmillan, and Macmillan Education. Springer Nature is a world leader in scientific and academic publishing and is known for its prestigious books, peer-reviewed journals, and educational materials. This publisher makes significant contributions to the international dissemination of academic works and helps original research in disciplines such as art history reach wider audiences.