دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 The Successor of the Naseri Era: Representation of Ali (PBUH) in Illustrations of Recurring Themes in Lithographed Editions of the Reign of Nasser al-Din Shah وصیِّ عصر ناصری؛ بازنمایی حضرت علـی(ع)، در تصاویر تکرارشونده نسخ چاپ‌سنگی عصر ناصرالدین‌شاه 7 27 728764 10.22034/rph.2025.2063447.1153 FA مریم یغمائیان دانشجوی دکتری تاریخ تطبیقی و تحلیلی هنر اسلامی، دانشکده علوم نظری و مطالعات عالی هنر، دانشگاه هنر، تهران، ایران 0009-0005-1789-720X یعقوب آژند استاد، گروه مطالعات عالی هنر، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه بین‎المللی سوره، تهران، ایران. 0009-0003-0685-7320 علیرضا طاهری استاد، دانشکدۀ علوم نظری و مطالعات عالی هنر، دانشگاه هنر، تهران، ایران. 0000-0001-5798-4037 امیر مازیار استادیار، دانشکدۀ علوم نظری و مطالعات عالی هنر، دانشگاه هنر، تهران، ایران 0000-0002-3108-760X Journal Article 2025 06 11 The Naseri Era (1848–1896), under the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, represents a pivotal and multifaceted chapter in Iranian history. It was a time when traditional beliefs, systems of authority, and aesthetic standards were challenged by the rapid introduction of modern technologies and ideas. This duality of continuity and change characterizes the intellectual and artistic landscape of the Naseri period. Lithography, which entered Iran in the early nineteenth century, became one of the most transformative media of this period. By enabling the simultaneous reproduction of text and images, lithography made it possible to publish stories, religious narratives, and visual motifs to a much wider audience than ever before. Of all the subjects represented in lithographed books, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) occupies a particularly prominent place. As the first imam of the Shia tradition, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and a symbol of piety and bravery, Imam Ali embodies the core values of Shia identity. For centuries, his life and deeds have been recounted through oral storytelling, epic poetry, and devotional literature. In the nineteenth century, with the advent of lithography, his image entered the realm of mass visual culture. This research sets out to explore how Imam Ali was represented in pictorial sets of lithographed books during the Naser al-Din Shah Qajar era, particularly through recurring themes in illustrations across multiple books. These illustrations depict recurring themes in lithographed books and refer to visual scenes that appear repeatedly across different works and editions, often with only minor variations. These images, such as Imam Ali killing Amr ibn Abd Wadd, splitting Marḥab with Zulfaqar, or confronting dragons and demons, became recognizable symbols for Shia audiences. Their repetition gave them an almost iconic status, enabling viewers to grasp religious and moral lessons without reading the full texts. Thus, illustrations with recurring themes served as artistic conventions and cultural tools that bolstered Shia identity. This study aims to understand the nature of illustrations of recurring themes. The investigation begins with a comprehensive introduction to lithographic editions emblematic of the era’s illustrated print culture. These editions are meticulously cataloged according to their visual content, with a particular focus on images of Imam Ali. Using a descriptive-analytical methodology, the study analyzes seventy-five illustrations drawn from twenty-four lithographed editions of six influential texts (Eftekhar-nama-Ḥaydari, Ḥamla-ye Ḥaydari, Tuhfa al-Majalis, Khavaran-nama, the Diwan of Farigh Gilani, and Ṭufan al-buka), and reconstructs the visual vocabulary through which Imam Ali was represented. Preserved in major Tehran libraries, these images are artistic products and cultural documents that reflect the aspirations, anxieties, and devotional practices of nineteenth-century Shia society to some extent. The methodological framework is qualitative and historical-analytical. It involves three main steps: the identification of relevant lithographed editions, the selection of illustrations that depict Imam Ali, and the categorization of these illustrations into thematic groups of recurring themes. The themes identified include: the heroic duels with enemies such as Amr ibn Abd Wadd, Marḥab, and Ḥarith, encounters with supernatural beings such as demons and dragons, the miraculous infant episode in which Imam Ali slays a dragon from his cradle, and iconic seated portraits of Imam Ali, sometimes accompanied by loyal companions such as Qanbar and Salman al-Farsi. Through this lens, the research uncovers how repetition itself operated as a cultural mechanism. By encountering the same or similar scenes in different books, audiences developed a shared visual literacy: the ability to immediately recognize Imam Ali, his sword Zulfaqar, and the symbolic framework of his battles. These images thus functioned as visual shorthand for Shia values, reinforcing devotion and establishing a standardized set of imagery. Some of the facts that can be emerged from this study: 1. A Fusion of Epic and Religious Traditions: Imam Ali’s (PBUH) lithographic representations draw heavily from Persian epic storytelling. His battles with monstrous enemies echo the struggles of Rustam and other heroes of the Shahnameh. Yet, the hero here is unmistakably religious, and his victories are framed as divine acts. This synthesis created a hybrid iconography that resonates with both national and religious identity. 2. Mass Mediation Through Lithography: Lithography introduced a new relationship between images and audiences. Unlike unique and exclusive manuscript paintings, lithographs could be reproduced in large quantities. For the first time, artisans, merchants, and sometimes even ordinary people could access illustrated religious texts. The wide circulation of these texts thus extended Imam Ali’s image beyond the realm of the elite, embedding it within everyday devotional life. 3. Educational and Didactic Function: The illustrations of recurring themes also had a pedagogical role. Many viewers, especially among the semi-literate classes, could grasp the essence of a narrative through the illustrations without needing to read the full text. A scene of Imam Ali slaying a dragon, for instance, communicated both his miraculous power and his role as the defender of faith. In this way, images became an accessible form of religious instruction. 4. The Dual Persona of Imam Ali: These images are striking for their depiction of two seemingly divergent aspects of Imam Ali’s identity. On the one hand, he is portrayed as a compassionate and just leader, as well as the spiritual heir of the Prophet. On the other hand, he is portrayed as a supernatural warrior whose blows with Zulfaqar split bodies and terrify demons. This dual persona reflects a broader cultural synthesis, merging piety and bravery as the two cardinal virtues of the Iranian heroic imagination. 5. Narratives of Good and Evil: Many images depict Imam Ali as a central figure in cosmic struggles between good and evil. These enemies are not just adversaries, but rather, they are the personification of falsehood and corruption. Therefore, his victories symbolize not only military success but also the ultimate triumph of truth, justice, and divine will. 6. The Formation of a Visual Canon: By the late Naseri era, certain scenes had become standardized. The duel with Amr ibn Abd Wadd, the splitting of Marḥab, and the slaying of a dragon were repeated so often that they became iconic images recognizable across the Shia world. This repetition helped solidify a canon of Shia heroic imagery that persists even today in popular art and ritual iconography. The study points out that lithographed depictions of Imam Ali during the Naseri era were not incidental illustrations but rather deliberate cultural instruments. During a time of transition, they reinforced Shia identity, bridging the old and the new, the textual and the visual, and the epic and the devotional. Lithography amplified their impact, enabling these images to circulate widely and become embedded in collective memory. Ultimately, the research emphasizes the role of visual media in shaping communal narratives. When mediated through lithography, Imam Ali’s heroic iconography became a cultural anchor for Shia society, embodying the timeless struggle between good and evil, as well as the specific anxieties of 19th-century Iran. These images’ enduring power lies in their ability to transcend time. They serve as both records of artistic practice and living symbols of identity and devotion. عصر ناصری، دورانی استثنایی از تاریخ ایران بوده است؛ عرصۀ تقابل ذهنیت‎های سنتی و گام‎های رو به تجدد؛ عصر گسترش رسانه‎های تصویری و خیزش آیین‎های شیعی مردمی. پژوهش حاضر بر آن است تا به واکاوی بازنمایی تصویری حضرت علـی(ع)- تجسم ارزش‎های شیعی- در نسخه‎های چاپ‎سنگی دوران ناصرالدین‎شاه قاجار بپردازد. این مطالعه که تمرکز اصلی آن بر تحلیل پیکرنگاری علـی(ع) در تصاویر دارای موضوعات تکرارشونده است، پس از معرفی نسخه‎های مصوَّر چاپ‎سنگی از شش متن شاخص، ارائۀ کتابشناسی نسخ و فهرست مجالس واجد تصویر حضرت علـی(ع) در هریک، به بررسی نگاره‎های مندرج در این آثار پرداخته و با مطالعۀ هفتادوپنج تصویر دارای موضوعات تکرارشونده از بیست‎وچهار نسخۀ چاپ‎سنگی، می‎کوشد تا به این پرسش پاسخ گوید که تصویر علـی(ع) در مجالس‎تصویر با موضوعات تکرارشونده، در نسخه‎های چاپ‎سنگی عصر ناصری، چگونه بازنمایی شده است؟ بستر صورت‎بندی این جستار، نسخه‎های چاپ‎سنگی فارسی حاوی پیکرنگاری حضرت علـی(ع)، منتشرشده در عصر ناصرالدین‎شاه و محفوظ در کتابخانه‎های عمومی شاخص شهر تهران، است. یافته‎های این پژوهش نشان می‎دهند که تصویر علـی(ع) در این آثار، با وام‎گیری از ساختارهای پهلوانی و اسطوره‎ای، غالباً در مجاورت دیوان و اژدهایان یا در متن نبردهای شگرف، ترسیم شده است. به‎بیان‎دیگر، علـی(ع) در تصاویر تکرارشوندۀ نسخ چاپ‎سنگی عصر ناصری، بیشتر در میدان رویارویی با شر و در قالب جنگاوری فراواقع و شگفت و تجسم شجاعت و خشونت تصویر شده است، تا امامی آرام و رئوف.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_728764_7b3d48901962ae20ae7c401f2a80612d.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 A Hypertextual Reading of Farah Ossouli’s Painting Me and Goya Based on Gérard Genette’s Theory of Transtextuality خوانش بیش‎متنی نقاشی ایرانی «من و گویا» از فرح اصولی، بر اساس نظریه ترامتنیت ژرار ژنت 29 38 722691 10.22034/rph.2025.2050639.1096 FA هدا لاهیجی دانشجوی دکتری پژوهش هنر، گروه مطالعات عالی هنر، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران. 0000-0002-3125-2177 حسن بلخاری قهی استاد، گروه مطالعات عالی هنر، دانشکده هنرهای تجسمی، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران 0000-0002-6304-4815 مینا محمدی وکیل استادیار گروه نقاشی و مجسمه‌سازی، دانشکده هنرهای تجسمی، دانشکدگان هنرهای زیبا، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران. 0000-0002-4817-569X Journal Article 2025 01 14 Farah Ossouli is a pivotal figure in contemporary Iranian art. She is renowned for her ability to blend the intricate traditions of Persian miniature painting with urgent modern themes. Her collection, “Listen! Do You Hear the Whistling of Darkness?”, created over nearly a decade, exemplifies this synthesis. It engages with social issues, most notably violence and the oppression of women in the Middle East, through a visual language steeped in Persian aesthetics. This series comprises 21 works that reinterpret iconic artworks from art history as hypotexts and transform them into hypertexts that resonate with contemporary socio-political realities. This study focuses on one piece from the collection: “Me and Goya,” inspired by Francisco Goya’s seminal work, “The Third of May 1808.” The study employs Gérard Genette’s theory of transtextuality to analyze the layered relationships between Ossouli’s hypertext and its two hypotexts: Goya’s painting and Persian miniature conventions. The analysis illuminates how Ossouli reconfigures these sources to address feminist and social concerns, forging a dialogue between historical artistic legacies and present-day challenges. The research is driven by three core questions. What is the nature of the relationship between these visual texts? Which transtextual mechanism dominates Ossouli’s hypertext? What function do the transformations of the hypotext serve? Tackling these inquiries allows the study to decode the complex transtextual dynamics at play and offer insights into how artists draw upon historical works to create new expressions that resonate with modern contexts, particularly within the Iranian and Middle Eastern cultural landscapes. This investigation is significant for its exploration of artistic influence and innovation, as well as its contribution to our understanding of how Persian painting evolves through cross-cultural engagement in a globalized world. This study is based on Genette’s framework of transtextuality, which is an extension of Julia Kristeva’s concept of intertextuality. Genette defines transtextuality as “all that sets a text in a relationship, whether obvious or concealed, with other texts” (Genette, 1997) and categorizes it into five types: intertextuality, paratextuality, metatextuality, architextuality, and hypertextuality. This study focuses on hypertextuality, which is the process by which a hypertext emerges from a hypotext through imitation or transformation. The primary lens here is transformation, which encompasses parody, travestissement, and transposition. This allows for a detailed examination of how Ossouli reworks her sources. The methodology is qualitative, employing a descriptive-analytical approach with a comparative framework. It juxtaposes “Me and Goya” with Goya’s “The Third of May 1808” and Persian miniature traditions. The analysis focuses on shifts in form, content, symbolism, and cultural resonance through Genette’s transtextual categories, emphasizing transformative strategies. Ossouli’s work is deeply rooted in the tradition of Persian miniature painting, which is historically tied to narrative illustration and cultural expression. Modern Iranian artists have adapted this tradition to reflect contemporary shifts. Her collection, “Listen! Do You Hear the Whistling of Darkness?”, inspired by a poignant line from Forough Farrokhzad’s poetry, uses its delicate aesthetic to mask a profound critique of human suffering. In the collection, women are positioned as the primary victims of violence. In Me and Goya, Ossouli engages with Goya’s masterpiece, which depicts Spanish rebels facing execution by French soldiers—a work widely regarded as a cornerstone of modern art for its raw depiction of violence and resistance (Licht, 1979). While studies like Namvar Motlagh’s (2020) on transtextuality and Rajabi and Namvar Motlagh’s (2019) on Behzad’s miniatures offer methodological parallels, this research distinguishes itself by bridging Persian and European artistic traditions through Ossouli’s unique perspective, enriching the discourse on transtextual relationships in art. The analysis reveals that “Me and Goya” relies on transformation, predominantly transposition, as its central transtextual strategy. Ossouli preserves Goya’s compositional framework, including the arrangement of soldiers and victims, while introducing transformative shifts. Most notably, she replaces the male victims in Goya’s work with female figures, redirecting the narrative toward gender-based oppression. This travestissement imbues the work with a feminist critique of patriarchal violence. This gender reversal reinterprets Goya’s anti-violence stance, aligning it with contemporary women’s struggles in the Middle East, where they are often disproportionately affected by systemic violence. Stylistically, Ossouli departs from Goya’s dramatic realism and chiaroscuro by adopting the flat colors, geometric precision, and ornate motifs characteristic of Persian miniature painting. She replaces Goya’s church with a mosque, embedding the scene in an Islamic cultural context. She also incorporates elements such as a crescent moon, floral patterns, and a lyrical sensibility—features absent from Goya’s original work. These alterations exemplify transposition, adapting Goya’s form and message into a distinct aesthetic and thematic framework that resonates with Ossouli’s cultural milieu. The title “Me and Goya” serves as a paratextual device, explicitly acknowledging the hypotext while asserting Ossouli’s creative parity with Goya. She frames this relationship as a shared artistic response to social upheaval, drawing parallels between Goya’s 19th-century Spain and her own experience of modern Middle Eastern conflicts, including violence perpetrated by groups like the Taliban and ISIS (Ossouli, 2021, personal interview). This transtemporal dialogue highlights the continuity of resistance against oppression throughout history and across different regions. Ossouli enriches her hypertext with semiotics, using contrasting patterns—delicate floral designs on women’s clothing versus rigid geometric shapes on soldiers’ uniforms—to reinforce her critique of gender and ideology. These elements highlight the vulnerability of women in the face of militarized power structures. Beyond Goya’s influence, Ossouli’s engagement with Persian miniature traditions adds another layer of transtextuality. She draws from this hypotext through her use of decorative motifs, flat perspectives, and poetic undertones, but transforms it by infusing contemporary feminist and social themes and adapting its historical formalism to her expressive needs. This dual interplay of European and Persian hypotext positions “Me and Goya” as a transcultural artifact, blending disparate artistic lineages into a cohesive narrative. These transformations transcend mere imitation, interweaving cultural, narrative, spatial, temporal, gender, and semiotic shifts into a rich tapestry. Transposition adapts Goya’s structure to Ossouli’s style and context; travestissement critiques patriarchal norms through gender inversion; and traces of parody emerge in her feminist reimagining of violence. These changes honor Goya’s legacy while asserting Ossouli’s artistic agency and addressing modern crises through a fusion of Persian and European aesthetics. The study concludes that Me and Goya exemplifies the power of transtextuality in reinterpreting historical works to make them relevant in the contemporary era. Ossouli’s hypertext provides a new view of violence and gender dynamics in Iranian art, showing how artists can connect the past with the present to critique ongoing social issues. This analysis enhances appreciation of Ossouli’s innovative practice and validates transtextuality as a robust framework for exploring cross-cultural artistic dialogue. It also contributes to broader discussions on the evolution of Persian painting in a global context. فرح اصولی در آخرین مجموعه آثار خود با عنوان گوش کن! وزش ظلمت را می‎شنوی؟، که طی حدود یک دهه خلق شده است، با بهره‎گیری از ساختاری نزدیک به نگارگری ایرانی و با تأکید بر مضامین اجتماعی و نفی خشونت، به مسائل و چالش‎های معاصر منطقۀ خاورمیانه پرداخته است. او در این مجموعه، با الهام از آثار برجستۀ تاریخ هنر به عنوان پیش‎متن، بیش‎متن‎هایی نوین آفریده است. هدف این پژوهش، کاوش لایه‎های درونی یکی از آثار این مجموعه با عنوان من و گویا است که با الهام از تابلوی مشهور سوم ماه می اثر فرانسیسکو گویا شکل گرفته و بر اساس نظریۀ ترامتنیت ژرار ژنت تحلیل می‎شود. این مطالعه از نظر هدف، بنیادی و از نظر روش، کیفی است و با استفاده از شیوۀ توصیفی-تحلیلی، با رویکرد مطالعۀ تطبیقی و مبانی نظری ترامتنیت ژنت، به این پرسش پاسخ می‎دهد: چه روابط ترامتنی میان اثر فرح اصولی و منبع الهام آن برقرار است؟ ضرورت این پژوهش از آن جهت است که بررسی روابط ترامتنی می‎تواند به درک عمیق‎تری از چگونگی تأثیرپذیری هنرمندان از آثار پیشین و خلق آثار نوین با مضامین معاصر منجر شود. یافته‎ها نشان می‎دهد که اصولی با تلفیق سبک نگارگری و بازآفرینی پیش‎متن گویا، تراگونگی‎هایی چندلایه (شامل ابعاد فرهنگی، روایی، مکانی، زمانی، جنسیتی و نشانه‎ای) ایجاد کرده است. او از طریق جایگشت، عناصر پیش‎متن‎های گویا و نگارگری را درهم‎آمیخته و اثری نو با مضامین فمینیستی و اجتماعی پدید آورده است. تغییر جنسیت شخصیت‎ها، جایگزینی نمادها و بهره‎گیری از نقش‎مایه‎های نمادین از جمله تکنیک‎های او در خلق این تراگونگی‎هاست.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_722691_8ff1eecdaf959df6579ba03113c3d973.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 The Influence of the Two Principles of ‘Reason’ and ‘Narration’ in Imami Theology on the Formulation of the Seven Principles in the Safavid Era (Case Study: The Abari Principle and the Fasali Principle) تأثیر دو قاعده «عقل» و «نقل» در کلام امامیه بر تدوین اصول هفتگانه در دوره صفوی (نمونه موردی: اصل ابری و اصل فصالی) 39 52 725423 10.22034/rph.2025.2061857.1149 FA رویا ظریفیان صالح مکرم استادیار، گروه هنرهای تجسمی، دانشکده هنر و معماری، دانشگاه یزد، یزد، ایران. 0000-0001-7775-1433 کامران سپهران دانشیار، گروه نمایش، دانشکده سینما تئاتر، دانشگاه هنر ایران، تهران، ایران 0000-0002-5020-770X داوود رنجبران دانشیار، گروه تاریخ تطبیقی و تحلیلی هنر اسلامی، دانشکده علوم نظری و مطالعات عالی هنر، دانشگاه هنر ایران، تهران، ایران. 0000-0002-2818-7976 Journal Article 2025 05 30 In most studies that have been conducted so far on the subject of the Seven Principles, these principles have been defined with a reductionist perspective as seven motifs or seven decorative styles, which contain many ambiguous and contradictory points in the presentation of these definitions. In this article, while answering the question of why the seven principles were formulated as the desired artistic expression in the era of Shah Tahmasb Safavid, the difference between the concept of “principle” and “motif and style” is also analyzed in order to provide a basis for refining previous definitions, and specifically the two principles of “Abri” and “Fasali.” During the reign of Shah Tahmasb Safavid, the Shiite jurisprudential discourse broadly encompassed all the affairs of the Safavid monarchy, and focusing on the issue of principles and religious evidence became the primary issue of the government. From this perspective, examining the impact of the Shiite jurisprudential discourse on the issues of artists and artistic affairs is a topic that is of serious necessity in the field of Iranian art history studies. In 947 AH, the Tabriz royal workshop and library were declared dissolved, and according to what Qazi Ahmad Munshi Qomi has mentioned in Golestan-e-Honar, Shah Tahmasp expelled all scribes and painters from the library except for Maulana Dost Mohammad Heravi, who was teaching calligraphy to Shah Tahmasp’s sister at the time. In a preface written in 951 AH on the tomb of Bahram Mirza, Dost Mohammad Heravi speaks about illustration and its relation to Islamic law. Of course, before him, Abdi Beg Shirazi had also devoted a chapter to this matter in the second part of his Ayne-e-Eskandari poem and had spoken about the conformity of the artistic creation of the carvers with the “Asl Sharif.” The purpose of the present article is to examine the artistic developments of the era of Shah Tahmasb from the perspective of the Shiite jurisprudential discourse. Therefore, in this article, while analyzing the epistemological foundations of Imami Shiism, an attempt has been made to examine the relationship between the “Seven Principles” and the “Asl Sharif” in Imami Theology and to show how, in a period when the official discourse of the government was directed towards the semantic system of Imami Shiism, Asl Sharif, as an epistemological basis in the Imami theological tradition, was able to play a fundamental role in the development of the aesthetics of art of this period and provide a religious basis for the official art of the Shah Tahmasb period. In the Imami theological tradition, “Asl Sharif” refers to the two principles of “Reason” and “Narration” as two epistemological approaches, and in the following article, an attempt has been made to reinterpret the two principles of “Abri” and “Fasali” from the perspective of these two epistemological approaches. The Abri principle, with its characteristics such as formlessness, ambiguity, and interference, has been read in connection with the rationalist approach and Mu’tazilite deductive theology and in relation to the principle of reason in Imami theology. On the one hand, the genealogy of this principle in the context of Abbasid art, and on the other hand, the cause and semantic analysis of its emergence, show that the Abri principle is not simply a motif or artistic style but rather carries deep epistemological meanings in relation to rationalist ideas and observes the influence of theological structures on artistic form. In contrast, the Fasali principle, with its characteristics such as figurative and narrative expression, has been analyzed in connection with the principle of narration. By examining examples of 3rd- and 4th-century AH engraved vases and 6th-century AH enameled vases from Kashan, the article emphasizes the connection of this principle with the educational-propaganda method of the Karami Fasalis and the Kashan Hadith school and shows the path of transmission and utilization of the achievements of a different intellectual tradition in Shiite thought. From this perspective, the Fasali principle is a visual form of narrative-centered discourse based on the rule of narration that explains the narrative-figurative expression of Shiite art in terms of Sharia. Examining the two principles of the “Abri” and “Fasali” from the perspective of their relationship with the “Asl Sharif” reveals the semantic aspects and identity functions of the seven principles in relation to the epistemological foundations of Imami theology and shows that the seven principles, beyond the relationships of form and color governing the recurring visual elements (motif) and the rules and structure regulating these relationships (style), refer to deep epistemological meanings and concepts. It should be noted that the formulation of the seven principles in the era of Shah Tahmasb Safavid and at the time of defining national identity based on the Shiite jurisprudential discourse was also based on these semantic aspects. Relying on the analytical-descriptive method and emphasizing library sources, the article, while explaining the difference between “principle,” “method,” and “motif,” presents a new understanding of the essence and function of the seven principles and introduces the seven principles not merely as a formal structure but as a meaning-making structure that, through the mediation of its relationship with the two components of reason and narration, has an epistemological function in the field of Shiite art and transforms art into a tool for explaining the world and giving it meaning. The results of this study show that the seven principles are a structure formed in the heart of a semantic system based on Shia theology, and the comparison of the semantic aspects hidden in the two principles of “Abri” and “Fasali” with the two rules of reason and transmission in the Imami theological tradition reveals that these two rules have been influential as a denotative or semantic aspect in the formulation of these two principles. It is important to note that each of these principles, before undergoing transformation in connection with an “idea” and finding its final form, was prevalent at the level of motif or style and had precedents. For example, the component of “ambiguity and interference” as a prominent aspect expressing the relationships between form and color in the Abri motif and the Abri-making style had a frequent presence in Sansai pottery and Abri silk before finding its denotative aspect in relation to the deductive theology of Mu’tazilite thought and the worldview based on the indivisible element. But Mu’tazilite thought, by giving a semantic aspect to the element of “ambiguity and interference,” projected it within the framework of the rationality of this period and gave the combination of lines and colors a significative aspect that, beyond the visual rules governing the motif or the Abri style, refers to a thought-like dimension outside it. Or in the case of the Fasali principle and its reflection in the enameled pottery of Kashan, the emphasis on the transmission component in the Hadith school of Kashan as one of the prominent centers of Shia in non-Arab Iraq found its appropriate visual expression in the form of a narrative-figurative approach whose ancient roots go back to before the advent of Islam. This issue reveals that in the seven principles, formal relations are defined based on semantic implications, and it is basically this semantic aspect that, by regulating formal relations, elevates “motif” or “style” to the status of “principles” as a determining factor. در اکثر مطالعاتی که تا کنون پیرامون موضوع اصول هفتگانه صورت پذیرفته است، این اصول با نگاهی تقلیل‎گرا در جایگاه هفت نقشمایه یا هفت اسلوب تزئینی تعریف شده‎اند که البته در ارائه این تعاریف نکات مبهم بسیاری وجود دارد. در این مقاله تلاش شده است ضمن پاسخگویی به چرایی تدوین اصول هفتگانه به عنوان بیان مطلوب هنری در عصر شاه تهماسب صفوی، به این پرسش اساسی پرداخته شود که چه تفاوتی میان مفهوم «اصل» با «نقشمایه و اسلوب» وجود دارد؟ هدف از این مقاله بررسی پیوند میان اصول هفتگانه با مفهوم «اصل شریف» در سنت کلامی امامیه است. بر این مبنا ضمن اتخاذ رویکردی تاریخی نگر و با اتکاء به روش توصیفی- تحلیلی، داده‎های جمع‎آوری شده به شیوه مطالعات کتابخانه‎ای مورد تجزیه و تحلیل قرار گرفته است. نتایج مطالعات نشان می‎دهد اصول هفتگانه فراتر از روابط شکل و رنگ حاکم بر عناصرِ بصریِ تکرار شونده (نقشمایه) و قواعد و ساختار تنظیم کننده این روابط (اسلوب)، به معانی و مفاهیمی عمیق اشاره دارد. اساساً تدوین اصول هفتگانه در عصر شاه تهماسب صفوی و در هنگامه تعریف هویت ملی بر مبنای گفتمان تشیع فقهی نیز بر همین وجوه معنایی استوار شده است. تطبیق میان وجوه معنایی مستور در دو اصل ابری و فصالی با دو قاعده عقل و نقل در سنت کلامی امامیه نشان می‎دهد عقل و نقل به عنوان وجه دلالتگر یا معنایی در صورتبندی این اصول تأثیرگذار بوده‎ و با تنظیم مناسبات فرمی، «نقشمایه» یا «اسلوب» را به جایگاه «اصول» ارتقاء داده است. بر این مبنا می‎توان گفت مناسبات فرمی در اصول هفتگانه بر مبنای دلالت‎های معنایی تعریف شده‎اند.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_725423_cfa923167b0f8ddf89336213d8de511a.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 A Thematic and Visual Analysis of the Tilework in Qajar-Era Mosque-Schools of Tehran Using the Gestalt Method تحلیل مضمونی و بصری کاشی‎کاری‎های مسجد-مدرسه‎های تهران عصر قاجار با روش گشتالت 53 65 725932 10.22034/rph.2025.2059330.1139 FA علیرضا شیخی دانشیار، گروه صنایع دستی، دانشکده هنرهای کاربردی، دانشگاه هنر ایران، تهران، ایران بهاره شعبانی کارشناسی ارشد صنایع دستی، گروه صنایع دستی، دانشکده هنرهای کاربردی، دانشگاه هنر ایران، تهران، ایران. 0000-0001-9754-2997 Journal Article 2025 05 07 During the reigns of Fath-Ali Shah and Naser al-Din Shah in Tehran, many buildings were constructed for religious, political, recreational, and other purposes—such as gardens, palaces, royal residences, schools, mosque-schools, and bazaar mosques. Because of the special place of education and learning in the beliefs of the Iranian people, as well as the emphasis of the Holy Qur’an on acquiring knowledge, education held great importance and was regarded as a social and doctrinal activity. The mosque-schools, which served both religious and educational functions, featured richly crafted decorations, including tilework, brickwork, stone carving, and wooden ornamentation containing geometric patterns and muqarnas. The aforementioned tilings exhibit visual richness that can be examined through Gestalt theory. The relevant principles include role and background relationships, similarity (similar dimensions), proximity (combination and proximity of edges), form and background, common destiny, symmetry, overlap, and continuity. This research aims to study the composition and decorations of tiles based on Gestalt theory, as well as to understand the inscriptions’ use, content, and meaning on the tiles of Qajar-era mosque-schools in Tehran. This descriptive and analytical study classifies the decorations and analyzes the inscriptions’ concepts to reveal their themes. Data collection was done through library and fieldwork, and the statistical population consisted of 9 Qajar mosque-schools in Tehran during the Qajar period, including Nizam-al-Dawlah, Moshir-al-Saltaneh, Haj Rajab Ali, Haj Qanbar Ali Khan, Moaz-al-Dawlah, Marvi, Khazen-al-Molk, Mahmoudieh, and Filsof-al-Dawlah, which contained tile decoration. During the Qajar period, tiles were widely used to decorate, repair, and renovate buildings. Unlike in previous periods, tiling during the Qajar era was not limited to mosques, tombs, and khanqahs; it was also used in palaces, mansions, city gates, and government institutions. The most common technique was the seven-color method, though underglaze painting also played an important role. Most buildings were constructed during the reigns of Fath Ali Shah and Nasser al-Din Shah and feature tiling art using seven-color techniques, pomegranate flower motifs, underpainting, portraits, seven-color moqarans, ghazi maghazi, knot-and-loop mosaics, and black ink mosaics. The tile motifs are floral, human, and geometric. Their use can symbolize nationalism and serve to achieve a specific goal. These decorations have a special place in the propagation of political discourse in Qajar-era buildings. In a way, they can be considered the product of the Qajar kings’ understanding of Khosrovani’s wisdom and utopian ideals. Similar to other artistic fields, such as painting, the Qajar government used myths and symbols, such as the royal crown, to consolidate and legitimize its rule when constructing mosques and schools. Gestalt theory relies on the relationships between parts and views the whole in the context of these principles. According to the principle of similarity, the human eye perceives visual elements that are similar in shape, color, size, dimensions, direction, and distance as distinct sets and patterns. In the tile decorations of these mosque-schools, there is overall harmony and coherence, despite the diversity in the designs and shapes of the tilework. These verandas surround the central courtyard and have unity in their overall form. The principle of form and ground is another principle of Gestalt, in which all elements can be divided into two parts. First, there is something that is clear and prominent and appears to be the main subject, and the other is its background. This principle is more important in inscriptions with calligraphic decorations like tiles with calligraphy on a blue background. Another Gestalt principle considered in the tile decorations of Qajar mosques and madrasas is the principle of symmetry. Despite the differences in the text inside the tiles, we see order. Many mosque tile designs are symmetrical, and despite slight differences, the principle of symmetry is highlighted. According to the principle of proximity, elements that are closest to each other are seen as a single whole or group. The proximity of visual elements is the simplest condition for seeing them together. It can be said that most of the principles of proximity gestalts (contact-integration-proximity of edges) have been used in the inscriptions. For example, the principle of proximity of edges is clear in the inscriptions of the Nizam al-Dawla mosque-school. The calligraphic writings that were placed within the frames of the inscriptions, in uppercase and lowercase letters, created a strong gestalt in the work. This principle is considered in the rest of the mosque-school inscriptions of the Qajar period. In order to examine the principles of proximity of edges, calligraphic letters with a third line are placed regularly next to each other. These letters are not separate from each other but rather appear as connected letters. In some parts, the letters are placed next to each other or even on top of each other, which is at the same time legible and orderly. In composition, the principle of grouping different elements together is achieved by using a structure and an external element. One of the most common methods of combining visual elements is to underline patterns and letters and enclose them within a frame. In the motif of tiling, smaller gestalt elements are overshadowed by larger ones, or larger ones cover smaller ones. Flower pot motifs on tiles are easier to understand than tiny flower and leaf motifs. At first glance, viewers see and understand the larger components. With further reflection, they see the smaller components. The motifs have interdependent designs that represent a single principle. The human eye tends to follow elements in a visual structure as long as the motifs remain unchanged. It tends to follow smooth elements much more consistently than elements with broken lines and angular patterns. According to the principle of continuity, the human eye tends to follow elements in a visual structure as long as the pattern’s progression remains unchanged. This principle forms the basis for understanding tile motifs and inscriptions in the gestalt of integrity. The components that form a Gestalt are seen as a single group. Regardless of how different or far apart the motifs and elements in a structure are, they all reach a common goal by following a similar process. Even in many of these motifs, there is no need for mere similarity or identical movement; what is important in this principle is a common goal and destiny. Despite the variety of motifs and the different framing and compositional arrangements in the layout of inscriptions and tilework, a shared perspective can be perceived across all of them, which is spiritual and religious in nature. That is, these spaces offer an environment that is both spiritual and educational, conveyed through symbolic and mythological elements rooted in Iranian culture and inscriptions. They are designed to engage the viewer’s understanding, providing a calm setting, away from the bustle of streets and markets, conducive to both intellectual and spiritual experience. The inscriptions used in Qajar-era mosque-schools can be divided into six categories according to the themes used within them: Quranic verses, prayers for the pure Imams, Shiite doctrinal principles, Shiite poems and praise of Ashura, and references to important moral principles that were worked on at the entrance of the buildings, on the outer walls of the building, in the courtyard, or above the porches and above the entrance doors of the interior spaces. A notable point in the inscriptions is the color used in the writing and the background of the inscriptions. This color choice has been made consciously to the extent that they are easily readable from a distance, or the color combinations used in the brick and tile decorations of the buildings make the designs clearer. مسجد-مدرسه‎های عصر قاجار در تهران از جمله ابنیه‎ایست که با اهداف سیاسی و اجتماعی ساخته شده و تزیینات آن در قالب نقش و کتیبه از نوع تفکر حاکم بر جامعه و یا ایجاد روال و سیری ویژه در بطن جامعه حکایت دارد. این بناها که کاربرد مذهبی و آموزشی داشته‎، دارای تزئینات کاشی‎کاری، آجرکاری، سنگ‎تراشی و تزئینات چوبی هستند. هدف پژوهش، تحلیل بصری کاشی‎کاری‎های مسجد-مدرسه‎های قاجاری تهران از منظر اصول گشتالت و گونه‎شناسی محتوای کتیبه آنهاست. روش پژوهش توصیفی-تحلیلی بوده و شیوه گرداوری اطلاعات به صورت کتابخانه‎ای و به‎ویژه میدانی است. یافته‎های تحقیق نشان می‎دهد که در مسجد-مدرسه‎های عصر قاجار از غنای نقوش باستانی ایرانی و اسلامی شامل نقوش گیاهی مانند گلدان‎های گل، دسته گل، گل لندنی و در دسته هندسی از چلیپا، گره چینی و گل چندرگی استفاده شده است. استفاده از آیات قرآنی، احادیث، اشعار فارسی در کتیبه‎ها با مضامین اعتقادی و مؤلفه‎های دینی مردم مثل اعتقاد به علم آموزی، اشاره به اصول اخلاقی و یا شناخت فضایل اخلاقی امامان و پیامبران و... مضامین کتیبه‎ها را نشان می‎دهد که به منظور مشروعیت بخشی حکومت قاجار بوده است.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_725932_537299fc443cafc8b451694994eb16cf.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 An Examination of the Philosophical Concepts of Color and Pattern in Fatimid Textiles Based on Hermeneutic Ideas of Henry Corbin بررسی مفاهیم حکمی رنگ و نقش در منسوجات فاطمی با تکیه بر اندیشه‎های هرمنوتیک هانری کربن 67 78 728558 10.22034/rph.2025.2064137.1160 FA اعظم طباخان اصفهانی دانشجوی دکتری حکمت هنرهای دینی، دانشکده دین و هنر، دانشگاه ادیان و مذاهب قم، قم، ایران 0009-0000-2717-2249 سیدرضی موسوی گیلانی دانشیار، گروه فلسفه و حکمت هنر، موسسه آموزش عالی هنر و اندیشه اسلامی، قم، ایران. 0000-0001-8082-8534 Journal Article 2025 06 25 Analyzing the mystical meanings of patterns and colors in Islamic art, particularly in Fatimid textiles, is considered one of the most challenging forms of artistic analysis. This is because the analyst must guide the audience toward an understanding of the symbolic and inner layers of these elements. One of the most effective methods to address this challenge is to use analytical approaches based on mystical concepts, particularly those derived from Henry Corbin’s thoughts. The primary goal of the present study is to move beyond superficial interpretations and attain a deeper understanding of the symbolic meanings embedded in these textiles. This research adopts a descriptive-analytical method and a semiotic approach to examine how mystical concepts of pattern and color are reflected in the textiles of this era. From Corbin’s perspective, the outer dimension of the color white is associated with water, one of the four elemental qualities, while its inner dimension corresponds to the upper right pillar of the sky of Walayah, representing the Twelfth Imam. White symbolizes absolute light, purity, and the beginning of the spiritual journey. In Fatimid thought, it is associated with purity, divine light, and the earthly embodiment of divine intellect, as well as the color of governance, emphasizing spiritual purity and sanctity. Green, in Corbin’s view, corresponds to the upper left pillar of the sky of Walayah and represents the Second Imam. It symbolizes perfection, the attainment of truth, and unity with the absolute reality. For the Fatimids, green represents Islam, paradise, eternal life, sanctity, and religious legitimacy. Red, in its outer symbolism, is the symbol of the red ruby that unites all four primary qualities (water, earth, fire, and air). In the inner dimension, the second level of red is associated with Imam Hussein (PBUH). In the third level, red symbolizes the inner nature of the world, where Gabriel, the angel of nature, is present. The fourth level takes us to the inner Imam, the secret guide within each believer, who leads them to their Lord—a relationship central to each devout individual. Red, therefore, symbolizes divine love and mystical ecstasy. Corbin speaks of mystical experiences in which the seeker encounters red light, signifying the manifestation of burning love for the Divine that consumes the seeker in spiritual passion. In Fatimid ideology, red is the color of power and life, used to emphasize the grandeur of court garments. Blue symbolizes wisdom and residence in the higher realms. It reflects serenity and deep understanding from Corbin’s perspective. The Fatimids saw blue as calming, associated with the sky and knowledge, and representative of wisdom and peace. Yellow, in its outer sense, corresponds to air, and in its inner symbolism, to the lower right pillar of the sky of Walayah, representing Imam Ali (PBUH). It represents spiritual awareness, enlightenment, and mental clarity. Corbin refers to yellow as playing a key role in the seeker’s inner transformation, marking it as a sign of intellectual and spiritual awakening. For the Fatimids, yellow also symbolized wealth, the caliph’s power, political and religious authority, magnificence, and a ray of salvation, carrying meanings of liberation, hope, and forgiveness. The color yellow signifies the inner transformation of the seeker, the light of the divine, and paradise. According to Corbin, yellow reflects the presence of God. In Fatimid thought, yellow symbolizes wealth, splendor, authority, divine light, and sanctity. A study of Fatimid textiles reveals recurring patterns, such as calligraphy. In Corbin’s hermeneutic framework, calligraphy is a manifestation of revelation and the transmission of divine messages. In combination with other patterns, calligraphy conveys political and religious messages and establishes the legitimacy and authority of the caliphate. The inscriptions in Taraz (inscribed strips) often include religious themes, supplications, hadiths, and verses that reference Shia beliefs. Arabesque and floral motifs, in Corbin’s interpretation, symbolize the heavenly realm and divine order, representing unity and the infinite nature of the Divine Essence. They mirror cosmic structure and reflect celestial order in the material world. In Fatimid ideology, they represent life and paradise, divine harmony, and monotheism, especially in ceremonial fabrics and the caliph’s attire, symbolizing the bond between materiality and spirituality. The human figure symbolizes the spiritual journey of the soul toward perfection and union with Absolute Truth. Unlike Sunni traditions, Fatimid Shia artists incorporated human images into their taraz designs. From Corbin’s perspective, the lion image represents divine power and the guardian of truth along the spiritual path. In Fatimid thought, the lion symbolizes the caliph’s power and bravery, conveying political strength. Though Corbin does not directly discuss the rabbit, it is interpreted as reflecting cleverness and swift spiritual perception. In Fatimid ideology and Islamic literature, the rabbit symbolizes prosperity, fertility, divine favor, and religious teachings. In Corbin’s vision, the bird is a symbol of the soul and its spiritual journey toward divine realms—a manifestation of the spirit flying toward truth. In Fatimid thought, paired bird motifs represent cosmic harmony and order. The peacock symbolizes eternity and beauty. Among geometric and medallion motifs, Corbin sees the circle as representing unity, timelessness, and eternity; the square as stability, balance, and materiality; the lozenge as movement, transformation, and the ascent from the material to the spiritual world; and the star as a symbol of light, guidance, and the luminous realm. In Fatimid art, geometric shapes such as stars, circles, squares, and lozenges symbolize divine unity and order and represent the centralized power of the caliphate. According to Corbin, composite motifs are visual reflections of the imaginal world and the philosophical and spiritual ideas of the artist’s active imagination. Fatimid art combines calligraphic, vegetal, animal, and geometric elements in these composite motifs, representing the era’s complex, multilayered style. These patterns not only create visual beauty but also reflect the interconnection between religion, philosophy, and power. In his hermeneutic system, Corbin defines symbolic interpretation (ta’wil) as the return of phenomena to their original source. He argues that this return is possible only through understanding. Symbolic interpretation, according to Corbin, involves preserving both the outer and inner meanings of symbols, and such experiences occur only within the realm of imaginal perception. Based on these theoretical foundations, Corbin views both the outer and inner dimensions of artistic elements, especially color. In his analysis of red, for instance, he moves through a multilayered process that ultimately leads to a spiritual recognition of the Imam as the inner guide of the human soul. Along this path, the Shia Fatimid artist connects with the inner Imam, who serves as a personal guide toward God. In Corbin’s thought, artistic components such as color and motif are powerful intermediaries for conveying elevated spiritual meanings. Therefore, Islamic art is inherently symbolic and allegorical, because only through symbolism can inner truths be expressed. From Corbin’s perspective, the ultimate aim of Islamic art is not merely to express the artist’s emotions but to manifest metaphysical truths in sensory forms. In this framework, every element carries codes of divine meaning. The study of Fatimid textiles clearly demonstrates how Shia Fatimid artists, using tangible elements, sought to communicate revelatory and celestial messages. Through the use of symbols and signs, they successfully translated the imaginal world into a visual language that portrayed a hybrid realm of the natural and spiritual. In conclusion, all patterns, colors, and symbols used in Fatimid textiles carry profound and timeless meanings rooted in Shia intellectual traditions. This art is not merely the product of aesthetic concerns, but rather, it is a manifestation of the spiritual and religious thoughts of the Fatimid artist. Through material elements, the artist aimed to point to a higher reality and draw the viewer’s attention to the hidden dimensions of existence. تحلیل حکمی نقوش و رنگ‎ها در هنرهای اسلامی، به‎ویژه منسوجات فاطمی، یکی از دشوارترین شاخه‎های تحلیل هنر محسوب می‎شود؛ چراکه تحلیل‎گر باید بتواند مخاطب را به درک لایه‎های معنایی، نظام‎مند و باطنی این نمادها رهنمون سازد. با نگاهی دقیق‎تر مشاهده می‎کنیم که بیشتر مخاطبان هنر، فاقد دانش کافی نسبت به رموز این عناصر بصری هستند و همین امر سبب دشواری فرایند تحلیل می‎شود. در مواجهه با این چالش، یکی از راهکارهای مؤثر، طراحی و به‎کارگیری روش‎های تحلیلی مبتنی بر مفاهیم حکمی و به‎طور خاص، بهره‎گیری از آرای هانری کربن است. این رویکرد می‎تواند با ایجاد سازوکارهای نوآورانه، زمینه‎ساز بازاندیشی در شیوۀ تحلیل هنرهای تزیینی شود و کارآمدی آن را در فهم دقیق‎تر از نقوش و رنگ‎ها در منسوجات فاطمی افزایش دهد.هدف اصلی پژوهش حاضر، فراتر رفتن از سطح تحلیل‎های صوری و حرکت به‎سوی درک ژرف‎تری از لایه‎های معنایی این منسوجات است. فاطمیان مصر که شاخه‎ای از نهضت اسماعیلیه و یکی از نخستین حکومت‎های شیعی بودند، با تأسیس خلافتی مستقل از خلافت عباسی، هنر را به ابزار تجلی باورهای دینی و فلسفی خود بدل کردند. هنرهای تزیینی و به‎طور اخص، منسوجات و پوشاک از بارزترین هنرهایی هستند که همواره بازتاب مفاهیم حکمی را در خود نشان می‎دهند. پژوهش حاضر با روش توصیفی - تحلیلی و رویکردی نمادشناسانه، در پی بررسی چگونگی بازتاب مفاهیم حکمی نقش و رنگ در منسوجات این دوران است. نتایج تحقیق نشان می‎دهد که منسوجات فاطمی نه‎تنها بیانگر ذوق زیبایی‎شناسی اسلامی‎اند، بلکه حامل مضامینی فلسفی، عرفانی و سیاسی نیز بوده‎اند. حمایت فاطمیان از توسعۀ کیفیت بصری منسوجات در راستای تثبیت شکوه خلافت و گسترش مضامین شیعی، از طریق به‎کارگیری رنگ‎هایی چون سفید، سبز، قرمز، آبی، زرد و طلایی و نقوشی همچون خط نوشته، نقش درخت، حیواناتی نظیر شیر، خرگوش، پرندگان، نقوش اسلیمی و گیاهی و نام‎های مقدس پیامبر(ص) و امام علی(ع)، همچنین کتیبه‎ها و ادعیه با مضامین شیعی، قابل ردیابی است. بهره‎برداری مجدد از سنت هنر قبطی نیز بخشی از هویت بصری این منسوجات را تشکیل می‎دهد. پژوهش حاضر نشان می‎دهد که این منسوجات، در عین دارا بودن بُعد کاربردی، نقش‎برجسته‎ای در انتقال مفاهیم حکمی و دینی داشته‎اند.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_728558_ce31563376f10a8be0c86f68c794abc5.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 Representing Anthropomorphic Animals as Scribes: An Iconographic Analysis of Classical Seal Impressions From the Early Elamite Period بازنمایی حیوانات دارای صفات انسانی در مقام کاتب: تحلیل شمایل نگارانه نقش‎ مهرهای کلاسیک دوره آغاز ایلامی 79 90 730008 10.22034/rph.2025.2069910.1175 FA روح اله یوسفی دانشیار، گروه باستان‎شناسی، دانشکدۀ ادبیات و علوم انسانی، واحد ورامین-پیشوا، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، ورامین، ایران 0000-0002-0703-4153 خلیل‌اله بیک‌محمدی استادیار گروه باستان‎شناسی، دانشکدۀ میراث فرهنگی، صنایع دستی و گردشگری، دانشگاه مازندران، بابلسر، ایران. 0000-0003-3804-3930 Journal Article 2025 08 26 This study, focusing on six selected examples of classical seal impressions from the Early Elamite Period in two prominent centers of Shush and Malyan, seeks to uncover the interrelations between visual language, institutional structures, and ritual worldviews of the period. Despite their small size and simple physical nature, these seals function as multilayered visual documents, containing highly detailed representations of administrative processes, bureaucratic order, and the legitimating ideology of governance. We applied a three-tier Panofskian analytical framework comprising (1) a pre-iconographic description of the scene’s details and compositional arrangements, (2) an iconographic analysis of conventional and culturally encoded meanings, and (3) an iconological interpretation of the historical, social, and economic contexts. We combined this framework with Barthes’ semiotics and Peirce’s triadic model to identify and decode the sign system embedded in these works. Seal impressions from the Early Elamite Period (late 4th–early 3rd millennium BCE) are essential to understanding the social, economic, and ideological systems of the first Iranian states. Beyond identifying ownership or sealing goods, the seals conveyed multilayered visual messages shaped by local traditions and Mesopotamian influences. One notable motif is anthropomorphic animals in human or ritual roles, which served as part of a symbolic language of power that bridged myth and administration. Viewed through visual semiotics and Panofsky’s three-level framework, these images operated as “social agents” linking aesthetic form to political and economic networks, stabilizing bureaucratic order, and legitimizing authority. Despite their significance, these seals have rarely been analyzed for both semiotic content and functional role. Prior studies emphasize classification and style, with limited attention to ideological meanings in anthropomorphic animal imagery. This study addresses that gap, showing how such depictions conveyed institutional and political messages, reinforcing social and power structures. The research integrates three complementary analytical lenses to enable a multilayered, interdisciplinary reading of classical seal impressions from the Early Elamite Period. First, a semiotic approach grounded in Peirce’s typology of signs (icon, index, symbol) and triadic relations (sign, object, interpretant) is used to decode meaning and analyze processes of symbolic encoding, supplemented by Barthes’ concepts of intertextuality and cultural codes to uncover hidden ideological narratives. Second, Panofsky’s classical iconographic method comprises three steps: pre-iconographic description, iconographic analysis, and iconological interpretation. This method identifies recurring motifs and thematic patterns. The third step is to interpret these patterns within the framework of the interactions between art, bureaucracy, and ideology. Together, these approaches guide the investigation of two core research questions. First, why did the motif of anthropomorphic animals serving as scribes emerge in the Early Elamite period? How are these depictions related to the administrative, social, and ideological structures of that era? The study employs a three-stage process: Pre-iconographic: direct description of scenes without interpretation, recording elements such as storage facilities, containers, anthropomorphic figures, tools, and composition. Iconographic: linking recorded elements to recognized subjects or historical motifs, comparing anthropomorphic scribes to known administrative roles, and associating repeated forms with surplus management, supported by archaeological, textual, and visual evidence. Iconological: interpreting more profound meanings and ideological frameworks, showing how images relate to political legitimacy, social hierarchy, and resource control. Anthropomorphic scribes are read as symbols merging executive authority with mythic power. These stages are complemented by both textual reading, focusing on the image itself as a “visual text,” and contextual reading, which situates the image within its broader cultural and comparative framework. Each operates at a surface level (recording explicit meaning) and a deep level (revealing hidden symbolic, mythological, and power structures). Integrating these procedures with Barthes’ and Peirce’s semiotic models enables the transition from simple description to rich interpretive analysis, elucidating the cultural and ideological significance of Early Elamite administrative imagery. Seal No. 1: This Early Elamite seal depicts a complex scene of storage management, record keeping, and organization. Two anthropomorphic wild cattle sit facing each other, separated by elongated counting rods, surrounded by symbolic elements such as storage jars, a framed rectangle (archive), a goat scribe, a circle between horns (central authority), and abstract granary forms. Iconographically, wild cattle symbolize fertility and economic stability, while the goat suggests oversight and agility. Iconologically, the scene fuses administrative and mythic power: animals perform bureaucratic roles, legitimizing order through natural symbols. Peircean analysis reveals icons (stylized animals), indices (storage symbols, counting rods), and culturally embedded symbols. Seal No. 2: Engraved on a tablet from Shush, this seal shows two anthropomorphic wild cattle seated in ritual posture, holding counting tools, with a jar of liquid between them and a goat observer in the background. Iconographically, cattle represent power and resource abundance; their opposed, formal posture signals administrative cooperation. The goat bridges mythic and administrative spheres. Iconologically, the scene reinforces bureaucratic authority through animal symbolism, with icons, indices, and symbols interlinked in a coherent network. Seal No. 3: Two anthropomorphic lionesses, one holding a tablet and the other observing, face a wild cattle scribe. Above the smaller lioness is a basket-like dome, symbolizing stored goods; around the cattle are counting marks and abstract granaries. Lions convey legitimacy, dominance, and protection; the cattle represent productive authority. Together they depict integrated administrative control over resources. The scene is both an iconographic record of bureaucratic activity and a symbolic statement of cosmic economic order. Seal No. 4: Depicts a lion and wild cattle facing each other, each anthropomorphic. The lion holds a rectangular tablet, symbolizing authority and record keeping; the cattle hold three writing tools, marking its role as scribe. The face-to-face composition conveys formal interaction between political and bureaucratic authority. Iconologically, the unity of royal and administrative power is expressed, with clear Peircean icon–index–symbol mapping. Seal No. 5: From Malyan’s Building ABC, this seal uses strict framing to divide the scene into two square compartments. One shows a goat scribe with stylus and tablet; the other, powerful wild cattle and a smaller grazing animal near a plant symbol. A Maltese crosFs separates the frames. The composition reflects livestock accounting and pastoral resource management. Iconologically, the partitioned design mirrors bureaucratic classification practices, combining animal symbols with spatial organization as visual indices of control. Seal No. 6: Unique for its anthropomorphic hare, the seal shows the hare reaching toward a tablet, flanked by a stepped motif (classification) and a radiating circular form (storeroom). The hare symbolizes trust and administrative diligence. Iconologically, the trio of elements compresses the process of receiving, recording, and safeguarding resources. Under Peirce’s model, all major elements operate as icons; the tablet and container as indices; and the hare’s cultural connotation as a symbol of legitimacy and order. The study of six classical seal impressions from the Early Elamite Period in Shush and Malyan shows that these small artifacts embed a complex system of signs and narratives spanning three interconnected realms: myth ritual, administrative economic, and power legitimation. Through carefully composed scenes, anthropomorphic animals—wild ox, lioness, goat, and hare—retain natural attributes while performing human tasks such as writing, auditing, and supervising resources. Their integration with key visual markers (styluses, tablets, counting rods, storage vessels, and plants) created a visual language that directly reflected economic functions while symbolically expressing order, authority, and legitimacy. Each animal type played a distinct communicative role within this system. From a semiotic perspective, the imagery operates on multiple levels: as icons of natural power, indices of administrative functions, and symbols of cultural and ideological values. Stylistic simplification and geometric framing were deliberate strategies for clarity and durability of message. In essence, Early Elamite seals were multilayered visual documents, functional tools, and symbolic carriers that united bureaucratic practice with mythic and ideological narratives, preserving cultural memory and expressing the intertwined networks of power, belief, and economic necessity in the primitive states of Iran. پژوهش حاضر با تمرکز بر شش نمونه منتخب از نقش‎مهرهای کلاسیک آغاز ایلامی از دو مرکز شاخص شوش و ملیان، می‎کوشد روابط میان زبان تصویری، ساختار نهادی و جهان‎بینی آیینی این دوره را آشکار سازد. این نقش‎مهرها، علی‎رغم اندازه کوچک و ماهیت فیزیکی ساده، همچون اسناد چندلایه تصویری، حامل بازنمایی‎های دقیق از فرایندهای اجرایی، نظم بوروکراتیک و ایدئولوژی مشروعیت‎بخش حاکمیت بوده‎اند. چارچوب تحلیلی سه‎سطحی پانوفسکی شامل توصیف پیش‎نمادین جزئیات صحنه و ترکیب‎بندی، تحلیل شمایل‎نگارانه معناهای قراردادی و فرهنگی، و تفسیر شمایل‎شناختی بسترهای تاریخی، اجتماعی و اقتصادی، در تعامل با نشانه‎شناسی بارت و مدل سه‎گانه پیرس به کار گرفته شد تا نظام نشانه‎ای این آثار شناسایی و رمزگشایی شود. در این راستا، مطالعه حاضر به دو پرسش کلیدی می‎پردازد: 1. چرا تصویر حیوانات انسان‎نما به عنوان کاتب در نقش‎مهرهای آغاز ایلامی پدید آمد؟ 2. این بازنمایی‎ها چه ارتباطی با ساختارهای اداری، اجتماعی و ایدئولوژیک آن دوره دارند؟ نتایج این پژوهش نشان می‎دهد که انتخاب و بازنمایی حیوانات انسان‎نما، از گاو وحشی و شیر تا بزسان و خرگوش، با رفتارها و ابزارهای انسانی نظیر قلم، لوح، کوزه و نشانه‎های هندسی، استعاره‎ای بصری برای نقش‎های واقعی اداری، حسابرسی و مدیریتی بوده است. حضور عناصر گیاهی و هندسی، شکل‎دهی قاب‎بندی‎های مجزا و تکرار موتیف‎های نمادین، بیانگر تلاش آگاهانه برای سازمان‎دهی معنا، تفکیک مفهومی و تقویت ارتباط میان نظم جهان انسانی و نظم کیهانی است. تحلیل‎ها نشان داد که این نقش‎مهرها علاوه‎بر کارکرد عملی در ثبت اطلاعات و کنترل منابع، بازتاب‎دهنده پیوند وثیق میان ساختار بوروکراسی، باورهای اسطوره‎ای و حافظه فرهنگی آغاز ایلامی بوده‎اند. این پژوهش تأکید دارد که بدون شناخت لایه‎های نمادین و سازوکارهای رمزگذاری تصویری، فهم کامل نظام اقتصادی، اجتماعی و ایدئولوژیک آغاز ایلامی ممکن نیست. چنین آثاری، در مقیاسی کوچک اما با ظرفیت روایی بزرگ، پنجره‎ای بی‎بدیل برای بازسازی شبکه‎های پیچیده قدرت، مشروعیت و نظم در نخستین حکومت‎های نخستین فراهم می‎آورند.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_730008_b466402b0495acf71f196f0f47a7a7c4.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 The Analysis and Reinterpretation of the Role of Writing in Pahlavi Visual Arts Based on Foucault’s Thoughts تحلیل و بازخوانی نقش نوشتار در هنرهای تصویری دورۀ پهلوی با ابتنا بر اندیشه‎های فوکو 91 106 730589 10.22034/rph.2025.2071972.1180 FA سارا جوانمرد دکتری پژوهش هنر، دانشکده پژوهشهای عالی هنر و کارآفرینی، دانشگاه هنر اصفهان، اصفهان، ایران 0009-0000-5845-1689 نادر شایگانفر دانشیار گروه پژوهش هنر، دانشکده پژوهشهای عالی هنر و کارآفرینی، دانشگاه هنر اصفهان، اصفهان، ایران. Journal Article 2025 09 17 The present study aims to analyze and reinterpret the role of writing and Shia elements in Iranian visual arts during the Pahlavi era. Using Foucault’s archaeological framework and its four main categories (objects, enunciative modalities, concepts, and strategies), the research reveals that writing and Shia elements possessed several multilayered and shifting significations and functions. The analysis at the level of objects shows that during the first Pahlavi period, religion and its related elements were primarily treated as subjects of restriction and limitation across all discursive levels. However, after a twelve-year rupture, an opportunity emerged for previously excluded elements to reenter discourse. In the Second Pahlavi Period, these elements were redefined in relation to national identity and modern art. From an enunciative perspective, the first Pahlavi era promoted modernism unilaterally through associations with Western and ancient Iranian elements. In the second Pahlavi period, however, attention to popular and religious culture, as well as the rise of independent artistic movements, created the possibility for a multifaceted presence of writing. The current research studies draw on Michel Foucault’s method of archaeology, which is engaged with discourse analysis in its precise theoretical sense—a framework that, instead of seeking origins or hidden meanings, focuses on the conditions of possibility for the emergence of discourses. According to Foucault, the history of thought and knowledge is not grounded in linear continuity or progress but also unfolds through ruptures, discontinuities, and differences. To support on this idea, in his later reflections Foucault moves from discourse analysis toward an examination of power relations, regimes of truth, and processes of subject formation. He demonstrates that power, through the production of knowledge and discursive practices, shapes and subjugates subjects; while at the same time, the subject always retains the potential for resistance and self-redefinition. Thus, in Foucault’s view, the identity of the subject is neither intrinsic nor fixed. In fact, it is the outcome of the interplay between historical forces, discourses, and the mechanisms of power and resistance. Within this framework, the present study separate itself from the chronological divisions of Foucault’s intellectual phases and synthesizes his archaeological and genealogical concepts to analyze the mechanisms of power, meaning, and identity in the artistic discourses of the Pahlavi period. To this end, four fundamental categories of Foucault’s archaeological method are employed: objects, enunciative modalities, concepts, and formation of strategies. At the level of objects, Foucault inquiries into the historical and institutional conditions that make certain topics speakable and examines how these objects do not persist through time but are instead transformed and ruptured. At the level of enunciative modalities, the focus is on the position and legitimacy of the speaker—who is authorized to speak, from which locus, and in what way forms of subjectivity in discourse will be historically determined. The level of concepts addresses the internal organization of statements and reveals how conceptual frameworks work whit in mechanisms of exclusion and delaminate certain meanings while stabilizing others. Finally, at the level of formation of strategies, Foucault analyzes how discursive possibilities are distributed throughout history and how a set of choices, oppositions, and latent potentials constitutes the specific situation in which discourse operates. Accordingly, Foucault’s discourse analysis method in this study serves as an analytical tool to uncover the power relations embedded in the production of meaning, identity, and knowledge which enables the researchers to move beyond the surface of texts and images and to grasp the historical and ideological dynamics underlying artistic discourses during the Pahlavi era. At the conceptual level, the first Pahlavi period is characterized by the dominance of secular and nationalist meanings that stand in opposition to religious symbols. However, an examination of artworks from the second Pahlavi era reveals that calligraphy and writing beyond conveying indigenous culture have been merged with modern concepts and nationalism through movements such as the Saqqakhaneh School. From the perspective of strategies, the first Pahlavi era had focused on a grand project of modernity aimed at eliminating religious culture. However, during the second Pahlavi period, while religious symbols were instrumentally employed to legitimize the monarchy, new possibilities have emerged for artists to redefine national identity and to express forms of resistance. The findings of the study indicate that during the second Pahlavi period, writing was supposed to play three simultaneous roles: as an instrument of compliance and legitimation for the monarchy; as a tool of resistance for artists who critiqued the established order and sought to reconstruct religious identity; and finally, as a means of personal expression in movements such as the Saqqakhaneh School and calligraphic painting, which transformed writing into a personal and aesthetic language. Therefore, writing and Shia elements in the visual arts of the Pahlavi era should not be regarded as static phenomena but as the product of interactions among multiple discourses, forces, and artistic strategies, which provided artists with the capacity for domination, resistance, and individual creation. A study of the history of the contemporary Iranian art particularly, during the first and second Pahlavi periods reveals that the political, social, and cultural transformations of this era had a profound impact on the formation of artistic discourses and the creative approaches of modern artists. One of the significant elements that emerged within this context was “writing” in the visual arts, an element which stands for both a tool of representation and also as in the visual as a discourse sign that acquired a distinctive place in the trajectory of Iran’s cultural and identity transformations. Analyzing the emergence and consolidation of this element requires an approach that uncovers the interconnections among power, knowledge, subjectivity, and culture. Michel Foucault’s theories of archaeology and genealogy provide an effective framework for examining the ruptures, discontinuities, and discursive strategies of this historical period. The significance of the present study lies in its focus on the discursive ruptures between the first and second Pahlavi periods and its examination of the conditions under which writing emerged and evolved in the visual arts in relation to national identity, religion, popular culture, and the cultural policies of the state. This research is to answered in the question of how the cultural policies of the first Pahlavi era, through the elimination of religious and ethnic elements, constructed a discourse centered on archaism, the Persian language, and national unity. This research also answers how the previously excluded elements, including Shi’a religion and popular culture, have regained the opportunity for the expression by using the modern art. These transformations created a context in which writing, as one of the components of Shi’a culture, became period a means of resistance, personal expression, and reconstruction of identity in the second Pahlavi. In light of Foucault’s theoretical framework and through the study of artworks in this period, it can be concluded that writing was influence by Shia elements in the visual arts of the second Pahlavi. It was to mention that writing was not regarded as static phenomenon and it was regarded as product of discursive ruptures, interactions among multiple discourses, and diverse forces. These forces which operate within contexts of domination, resistance, and individual creativity, have enabled the artists to detach writing and religious elements from their original contexts and to transform them into a personal, formal, and aesthetic language. پنداشتن افراد در یک جامعه در مقام سوژه‎ها و ابژه‎های کنش و معرفت جایگاه برجسته‎ای در تحقیقات با رویکرد تحلیل گفتمان پیدا کرده است و موجب پیدایش طیفی از تحلیل‎ها و تلاش‎های مختلف برای برآیند پدیداری یک پدیدۀ خاص در جامعه گردیده است. یکی از روش‎های رایج تحلیل گفتمان برای بررسی‎ چنین پدیده‎هایی روش‎های دیرینه‎شناسی و تبارشناسی فوکو است. فوکو در مرحلۀ اول کاری‎اش یعنی در روش دیرینه‎شناسی صورت‎بندی‎ها را در چهار مقولۀ 1)موضوعات، 2)اسلوب‎های‎ بیانی، 3)مفاهیم و 4) تشکیل استراتژی‎ها قابل تحلیل می‎داند. او در مطالعات مسئلۀ قدرت در تأملات بعدی‎اش، یعنی روش تبارشناسی هدف خود را پژوهشِ سوژه اعلام می‎کند تا بررسی قدرت و با بسط مفهوم قدرت به «کردارهای شکاف انداز» و بررسی «اشکال مقاومت سوژه‎ها» نقاط برخورد و معارضه استراتژی‎ها را برای بررسی ناپایداری‎ها، گسست‎ها وخلأهای گفتمانی قرار می‎دهد. اگرچه تاکنون دربارۀ هنر نوگرای ایران و تأثیر عوامل اجتماعی و سیاسی بر آن پژوهش‎های زیادی صورت گرفته است، اما کمبود پژوهش‎هایی در زمینه گسست‎های گفتمانی در دو دوره پهلوی اول و دوم و بررسی شرایط پیداییِ عنصر نوشته که بعد‎ها به یکی از عناصر پرتکرار در هنرهای تجسمی معاصر ایران تبدیل شد، به‎وضوح احساس می‎شود. پرسش‎ اصلی پژوهش این است که؛ چگونه عناصر شیعی و نوشتار در هنرهای تصویری دوره پهلوی در چارچوب چهار مقولۀ روش دیرینه‎شناسی فوکو قابل تحلیل است؟ و پرسش دیگر آن‎که؛ نوشتار در آثار دوره پهلوی دوم با چه رویکردهایی ابزاری برای تمکین، مقاومت و یا بیان فردیِ سوژه می‎شود؟ پرسش اصلی پژوهش چنین پاسخ می‎یابد که عناصر شیعی و نوشتار در هنرهای تصویری پهلوی، در چارچوب چهار مقولۀ دیرینه‎شناسی فوکو، به‎گونه‎ای متفاوت مفصل‎بندی می‎گردند: حذف و تحدید عناصر مذهبی در دورۀ پهلوی اول، خلأ و گسست گفتمانیِ دوازده‎ساله بین دو دوره، و بازتعریف و چندلایگی عناصر مذهب در دورۀ پهلوی دوم. به بیانی صریح‎تر موضوعاتی مانند فرهنگِ مذهب شیعی، فرهنگ عامه‎ و بومی‎ (روستا)گرایی از پس شکاف گفتمانی بین دو دوره به گفتمان پهلوی دوم افزوده شد. همچنین در پاسخ به پرسش فرعی می‎توان گفت نوشتار در دورۀ پهلوی دوم سه کارکرد هم‎زمان یافتند: ابزار تمکین در خدمت سیاست‎های رسمی و مشروعیت‎بخش سلطنت؛ ابزار بیان فردی در آثار جریان‎هایی چون سقاخانه و نقاشی‎خط که نوشتار را به زبان شخصی و زیباشناختی بدل ساختند؛ و سرانجام ابزار مقاومت در دست هنرمندانی که در اعتراض به پدیداری فزایندۀ نمادهای شیعی و نوشتار در هنرهای تصویری در پی نقد نظم مستقر و باززایی مفاهیم بودند. روش‎ پژوهش پیش رو، تحلیل گفتمان به روش فوکو و از نوع کیفی و تحلیلی است. به‎علاوه، روش نمونه‎گیری تصاویر بر پایۀ تحلیل محتوای کیفی هدفمند و با توجه به پرسش‎های پژوهش نوعی و ناهمگون است. شیوۀ جمع‎آوری اطلاعات، کتابخانه‎ای بر اساس منابع اطلاعاتی مشابه، مطالعۀ کتابها، منابع مرجع و اسناد و مدارک دوره تهیه شده است.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_730589_97c8a08b8fa5ee50cd407be9cd9270e0.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 The Representation of Eros in Postmodern Cinema Through the Perspective of Byung-Chul Han (Case Study: The Film Melancholia) بازنمایی اِروس در سینمای پست ‎مدرن با رویکرد بیونگ چول هان (مطالعه موردی فیلم مالیخولیا) 107 118 726596 10.22034/rph.2025.2062813.1152 FA بهزاد اسدی دانشجوی دکتری فلسفه هنر، واحد تهران شمال، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران. 0000-0002-4113-3649 محمد شکری استادیار، گروه فلسفه، واحد تهران شمال، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران مینو خانی استادیار گروه پژوهش هنر، واحد تهران شمال، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران. Journal Article 2025 06 08 This article investigates the representation of Eros in postmodern cinema through the philosophical lens of Byung-Chul Han. It focuses in particular focus on Lars von Trier’s Melancholia as a paradigmatic example. The depiction of existential and emotional crises in the postmodern world. Classical philosophy understands Eros as life-affirming and connective. force, Han argues that, in contemporary society, Eros is eroded and fragmented. Love, longing, and human desire have deteriorated within the frameworks of Consumerism and radical individualism. Employing qualitative content analysis and Han’s theoretical framework, the study analyzes the manifestations of the erosion of Eros in the film’s narrative, characters, and symbolic atmosphere. The study focuses on portraying depression, isolation, and interpersonal disconnection as symptoms of a broader cultural exhaustion of erotic vitality in postmodernity. The analysis reveals that human relations in Melancholia are devoid of genuine affective bonds, giving way to apathy and passivity in the face of the world’s collapse. Rooted in classical Greek thought—particularly in Plato’s philosophy—Eros was historically conceived not merely as erotic desire but as a transcendent yearning for beauty, truth, and the good. However, in modern and postmodern contexts, Eros undergoes significant conceptual transformations. The rise of critical discourses such as psychoanalysis and sociology has challenged and reshaped traditional understandings of desire and affection. What was once considered a spiritual and noble force is now often viewed as pathological or commercialized, requiring a critical reevaluation. Byung-Chul Han, a Korean-German philosopher, offers one of the most incisive critiques of this transformation. In his work, Han argues that contemporary society—centered on performance, productivity, and efficiency—substitutes authentic desire with utilitarian goals. In such a world, Eros, which thrives on openness, alterity, and emotional vulnerability, is incompatible with the logic of self-optimization and neoliberal capitalism. This results in emotional fatigue, alienation, and the erosion of intimate bonds. According to Han, love has become a consumable good, while human relationships have become short-lived and transactional. Cinema, as a quintessential postmodern art form, provides a potent platform for exploring such existential and emotional dislocations. It can capture not only the psychological complexities of contemporary human life but also the cultural decay of foundational values like Eros. Lars von Trier’s Melancholia exemplifies this capacity. With its symbolic imagery and apocalyptic atmosphere, the film reflects the psychological exhaustion of the postmodern subject. Eros, instead of symbolizing connection and transcendence, becomes an emblem of rupture, depression, and psychic disintegration. Confronted with the impending collision of the planet Melancholia and Earth, the film’s characters exhibit profound emotional detachment and a total collapse of the will to connect. The study’s central question is how the concept of Eros is represented in postmodern cinema, particularly through Han’s philosophical framework. The analysis identifies recurring symbols, narrative patterns, and aesthetic strategies in Melancholia that illustrate the degeneration of Eros from a creative force to a marker of existential disintegration. This cinematic narrative mirrors Han’s philosophical diagnosis of a society marked by overexposure, performativity, and emotional disaffection. Methodologically, the research is based on interpretive qualitative content analysis. The theoretical framework draws on Han’s critiques of the collapse of love, the corrosion of desire, and the disintegration of human bonds in the postmodern condition. Through close reading of the film’s narrative structure, character construction, and aesthetic strategies, the study investigates the symbolic presence—or absence—of erotic energy in contemporary visual storytelling. The findings demonstrate that in Melancholia, classical Eros—as a life-generating, transcendent, and connective force—has been replaced by a paralyzed, exhausted, and alienated version of itself. The characters lack the capacity for emotional agency or genuine human connection; love neither liberates nor binds, and desire is stripped of its transformative power. This failure is not solely psychological, but reflective of deeper socio-cultural forces—forces that demand constant self-performance, transparency, and consumption. In Han’s view, neoliberal society leads to the resignation of the subject from love, and Melancholia powerfully visualizes this resignation through its imagery and thematic depth. Melancholia is a powerful work in the psychological drama and apocalyptic genre, structured in two distinct yet interconnected parts: Justine and Claire. This dual structure allows director Lars von Trier to explore different dimensions of decay and depression through the perspectives of two sisters. In the first part, titled Justine, the viewer accompanies the protagonist (played compellingly by Kirsten Dunst) on the night of her wedding. The ceremony takes place in a luxurious estate, but signs of restlessness, anxiety, and Justine’s inability to conform to social norms and expectations are evident from the very beginning. A wedding—meant to symbolize joy, unity, and a new beginning—gradually transforms into a tableau of Justine’s inner turmoil. As the evening progresses, she sinks into deep depression, unable to express joy, grows distant from her new husband, and her relationships with her family—particularly her cold mother and irresponsible father—become increasingly strained. Justine embodies melancholia (profound depression) as a fundamental existential state that not only prevents the formation of emotional bonds but also pushes her toward detachment and isolation. This section vividly illustrates how, even at the height of expected joy, Eros (the force of love and connection) is weakened within Justine, giving way to forces of disintegration and self-destruction. The breakdown of the wedding and Justine’s abandonment of it serve as a powerful metaphor for the collapse of hope and the incapacity to connect in her world. The second part of the film focuses on Justine’s sister, Claire (played by Charlotte Gainsbourg), presenting a different psychological landscape—though it ultimately leads to the same dissolution and decay seen in the first half. A cosmic catastrophe is introduced: a mysterious planet called Melancholia has deviated from its orbit and is heading toward Earth. At first, scientists assure everyone that there will be no collision, but Claire becomes increasingly anxious about the impending disaster. She represents the modern human being, who, despite attempts to maintain order and control, quickly succumbs to fear and dread when faced with forces greater than herself. Claire tries to rationalize and manage reality, but as Melancholia draws nearer, her grip on herself and her surroundings weakens. In contrast, Justine, who outwardly appears unexpectedly calm, accepts the looming death and even reaches a kind of surrender. Justine’s serenity, which Claire finds both strange and disturbing, may reflect that she has long lived in a state of melancholia and existential alienation. For Justine, the collision with another planet might simply be the external manifestation of the inner collapse and isolation she has endured for years. This contrast between Claire’s anxiety and Justine’s calm beautifully illustrates how the concept of Eros and the desire for life take divergent paths in different individuals when confronted with annihilation and decay. The film’s apocalyptic atmosphere metaphorically captures an era in which, even in the face of extinction, humanity fails to reclaim meaningful connection. Eros in this world is not a redemptive power but a symbol of modern isolation. This research shows that Han’s philosophical critique offers a robust analytical tool to understand emotional fragmentation in postmodern cinema. Although this study is limited to a single film, it opens pathways for future comparative research on the representation of love, desire, and subjectivity in contemporary visual culture. Moreover, it contributes to a sharper portrayal of the condition of the modern individual—one who, in a world emptied of meaning, still yearns for signs of human connection, yet repeatedly encounters its impossibility. Thus, Eros in postmodern cinema—especially in Melancholia—transcends the boundaries of romantic representation and becomes a critical lens through which to interrogate the psychological, cultural, and philosophical crises of our time. موضوع این مقاله، به بازنمایی مفهوم اِروس در سینمای پست‎مدرن با تکیه بر دیدگاه‎های فلسفی بیونگ چول هان است. رویکرد اصلی پژوهش، تحلیل فیلم مالیخولیا اثر لارس فون تریه به عنوان نمونه‎ای شاخص از بازنمایی بحران‎های وجودی و احساسی در بستر جهان پست‎مدرن است. اِروس در فلسفۀ کلاسیک به‎مثابه نیرویی برای پیوند و زندگی معنا یافته بود، اما در اندیشه هان، در وضعیت معاصر به شکلی زوال یافته و متلاشی بازنمایی می‎شود؛ به گونه‎ای که عشق، اشتیاق و میل انسانی در دل نظام مصرفی و فردگرایانه امروز دچار فروپاشی و بیگانگی شده‎اند. این مطالعه با بهره‎گیری از روش تحلیل محتوای کیفی و چارچوب نظری هان، به واکاوی جلوه‎های زوال اِروس در روایت، کاراکترها و فضاسازی‎های فیلم مالیخولیا می‎پردازد. توجه ویژه به بازتاب افسردگی، انزوا، و گسست‎های میان‎فردی در فیلم، امکان فهم چگونگی فرسایش نیروی اِروتیک در فرهنگ پست‎مدرن را فراهم می‎آورد. در این راستا، تحلیل فیلم نشان می‎دهد که روابط انسانی در مالیخولیا عمدتاً فاقد پیوندهای عاطفی اصیل بوده و در مواجهه با فروپاشی جهان، به انفعال و بی‎تفاوتی کشیده می‎شود. یافته‎های پژوهش حاکی از آن است که سینمای پست‎مدرن، به‎ویژه در آثار کارگردانانی چون فون تریه، نه‎تنها به تصویر وضعیت متأخر عشق و میل می‎پردازد، بلکه به نقد بنیادین ساختارهای روانی، اجتماعی و فرهنگی زمانه خود نیز دست می‎زند. این بررسی، امکان درک ژرف‎تری از نسبت میان زیبایی‎شناسی سینمایی و تحولات فلسفی مفهوم اِروس در عصر پست‎مدرن فراهم می‎آورد.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_726596_4cd3ac26554cabce18cce85bd6e05fdd.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 The Representation of Hegemonic Components in Digital Games: A Case Study of America-Centered Games بازنمایی مؤلفه‎ های هژمونیک در بازی‎های دیجیتال: نمونه‎ پژوهی بازی‎های آمریکامحور 119 132 728557 10.22034/rph.2025.2063768.1156 FA فرزانه شریفی استادیار، گروه علوم ارتباطات دانشکده فرهنگ و ارتباطات دانشگاه بین‎المللی سوره، تهران، ایران. 0000-0001-5086-2950 Journal Article 2025 06 24 With the mounting growth of the digital game industry as one of the most important branches of the creative industries, this medium has become not only a platform for entertainment but also a powerful tool for transmitting cultural, social, and political concepts. In such a context, the issue of “hegemony” as the dominant form of ideological and cultural domination is of particular importance. Hegemony in digital games means how some countries or companies, by taking advantage of their economic, technical, and narrative power, instill certain values, lifestyles, and attitudes in the form of games to global audiences and lead to the formation of a single framework for understanding reality, history, and morality. Most of the best-selling and popular games worldwide are the products of Western companies. Using sophisticated storytelling, advanced technologies, and extensive marketing, these games not only produce entertainment but also present specific narratives of history, politics, violence, race, gender, and identity. In this context, there are concerns about the monotony of cultural narratives and the neglect or distortion of cultures and perspectives of other societies, especially non-Western countries. Conversely, non-native game-producing countries, particularly developing nations, hold a minimal stake in the creation and production of indigenous content in the global market. This imbalance in digital content production and consumption indicates a form of “soft cultural colonization” through digital games, which can result in the weakening of cultural diversity and the creation of inequalities in cyberspace. The main purpose of this research is to analyze games developed by the United States from a hegemonic perspective. Therefore, the question here is: how have these American and Western games represented the East, the Middle East, and Muslims? Given the size of the market, the number of global audiences, and the powerful influence of digital games as an interactive medium in shaping public opinion and global culture, addressing the issue of hegemony in this area is an undeniable necessity. This issue not only leads to a better understanding of the role of ideology in gaming media but can also pave the way for the development of cultural policies and strategies to promote polyphonic narratives and strengthen local production. This research was conducted with an exploratory-descriptive approach. The reason for using this method was to obtain deeper findings from the analysis of games and also to analyze all the overt and covert layers of the game text. Another benefit of using this method, which cannot be properly achieved with other qualitative analyses, is the transformation of the findings into a conceptual model. At the initial stage, the research population comprised games that revolve around Western hegemony and ideologies expressing antagonism toward the Middle East. For sampling, a non-probability and purposive sampling method was used, and specifically, 6 digital games with the titles 1- “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” 2- “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2,” 3- “Command and Conquer Generals,” 4- “Medal of Honor,” 5- “Army of Two” and 6- “Splinter Cell” were selected, which had characteristics appropriate to the objectives of this study. Therefore, the units of analysis were selected according to the purpose of the study. To analyze the games, continuous observation of them and viewing recorded videos of the six mentioned games lasted for four months. Then, a complete description of how the East, the Middle East, and hegemonic concepts are represented in all these games was obtained. Analysis of the sequence, music, game footage, characters, scoring, dialogues, narrations, etc. was also carried out to answer the research questions mentioned below: How have these Western games represented the East? And with what concepts have they depicted this subject (the East)? To implement the analysis, the games were first classified based on semantic units to extract their categories. Then, in the next stage, 8 subcategories were extracted that were at a higher level of abstraction, and finally, three main categories were obtained, titled 1. Hegemony, 2. Negative representation, and 3. Islamophobia. To ensure reliability, the selection of semantic units was done carefully, and an effort was made to ensure that no data was inadvertently included in the categorization stages. To maintain reliability, a second researcher identified and reviewed uncertain codes. To increase the reliability of the analysis, the researcher first reviewed the research process from start to finish and reexamined the coding. Then, the second author supervised the analysis and coding stages separately and served as a secondary controller to achieve precise themes. Finally, to control the extracted themes and categories, the researcher’s opinion was compared with an expert (third controller). Data analysis and extraction were approved by the third controller. Also, to increase the validity of the results, the triangulation method was used. In this method, data were collected and combined from various sources, such as documents, specialized game analyses, and the researcher’s experiences, to arrive at a comprehensive and valid picture of hegemonic and anti-Oriental concepts in the selected games. In assessing the validity of the research, internal validity was ensured through data review by two independent researchers, and the findings were aligned with the theoretical framework. To increase external validity, other games with relatively similar narratives to the samples of this study were selected so that the research results would be more generalizable. The conceptual framework of the present study uses the “hegemony theory” and “Orientalist discourse” as the closest theoretical basis to the purpose of this study. On the other hand, when the East is opposed to the West as “other” in these games, metamorphosis and meta-textual ideologies are formed. Based on theoretical foundations and the combination of concepts, three main categories and eight subcategories were obtained from the six analyzed games. The three main categories are 1) hegemony, 2) negative representation, and 3) Islamophobia. The eight subcategories are 1) cultural hegemony, 2) military hegemony, 3) global hegemony, 4) civilian appeasement, 5) negative cultural representation, 6) negative geographical representation, 7) negative political representation, and 8) animosity towards Arabs, Islam, and Shias. During the analysis of these six games, the frequency of hegemonic and then anti-Islamic concepts was more than the rest of the categories. So, their classification into categories was sometimes difficult due to the similarity of thematic content. The ideological, cultural, military, political, geographical, and even media domination of America and not even other Western countries over the Middle East is visible throughout these games. In the process of gameplay analysis, the researcher sometimes does not need to refer to the hypertext, and hegemony is so obvious and explicit that it is recorded as an easily accessible code. Therefore, it seemed that in the ideological analysis of Western games, the use of three theories of representation, orientalism, and hegemony is necessary. The discourse of orientalism and otherness, the superior view of the Arab and Persian races, and the religion of Islam were the most important approaches to representing the Middle East in the analyzed games produced by America and the West. The findings of this study show that the analyzed games make a fundamental distinction between the East and the West in political, military, cultural, and even media dimensions. The West is portrayed in a favorable light alongside the wretched face of the Middle East and the East, especially Islamic countries. The player frequently encounters terrorists who are Arab, Afghan, and Muslim throughout these games. This research, in addressing the issue of cultural invasion and anti-Islamic ideological themes in digital games, can provide recommendations to two main groups: 1) researchers in the fields of sociology, media studies, cultural studies, and game studies, and 2) stakeholders in the game industry (developers, publishers, policymakers, creative industries, and trade associations). The following are some key and operational suggestions: 1. Adopting a confrontational strategy in the country’s cultural policymaking, 2. Guiding and supporting qualitative studies and digital ethnography, 3. Conducting studies on the psychological and identity effects of Western games, 4. Analyzing the social networks and online discussions of Muslim gamers in response to anti-religious content, 5. Carrying out comparative and cross-cultural study, 6. Doing policy research and analysis of cultural risks and identity damage of Western games for cultural policy-making institutions, 7. Strengthening the capacity of domestic game designers to produce games with confrontational narratives, 8. Designing a process of ex-ante and ex-post monitoring in controlling the publication of foreign game content in the Iranian age rating system (ASRA), and 9. Increasing public awareness and media literacy about the ideological themes of foreign games. بازی‎های دیجیتال با قدرت اثرگذاری بر مخاطبان در سراسر جهان ظرفیتی را برای دولت‎های غربی به منظور تحکیم اهداف نظامی، سیاسی و ایدئولوژیک ایجاد نموده‎اند. ارتش و سیستم نظامی آمریکا، برنامه و ایده جنگ‎ها و درگیری‎های واقعی خود را در اختیار بازی‎سازان غربی قرار می‎دهد تا در نهایت برای صنعت سرگرمی و تحریک اذهان بازیکنان در سراسر جهان استفاده شود. این بازی‎ها که از جمله پرهزینه‎ترین بازی‎ها در ساخت و عرضه محسوب می‎شوند، ارتشی از بازیکنان را در جهان تحت کنترل قرار می‎دهند. این پژوهش با هدف شناخت مؤلفه‎های هژمونیک در بازی‎های آمریکامحور، به تحلیل 6 بازی محصول این کشور پرداخت. سؤال اصلی این پژوهش معطوف به این است که بازی‎های آمریکایی و غربی چگونه به بازنمایی شرق، خاورمیانه و مسلمانان پرداخته‎اند؟ این مطالعه از نوع کیفی و با روش تحلیل محتوای کیفی و با ابزار مشاهده انجام شده است. پس از انجام کدگذاری، استخراج مقوله‎ها و طبقه‎بندی آنها در 3 مقوله اصلی، یافته‎های حاصل از تحلیل محتوا به 8 زیر مقوله فرعی طبقه‎بندی شد. این مطالعه نشان می‎دهد که مفاهیم ایدئولوژیک ضدشرقی، فرادستی آمریکا و ضدیت با اسلام به‎وضوح و گاهی در فرامتن بازی قابل تحلیل است. این شش بازی با سه مقوله اساسی 1. هژمونی، 2. بازنمایی منفی (سوءبازنمایی) و 3. اسلام‎هراسی به بازنمایی غیرمتعارف و غیرمنصفانه از شرق، خاورمیانه، اسلام و مسلمانان پرداخته است.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_728557_2c552cf6db53a07f8900e4ba31ebfe0e.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 Light as a Mediator of Meaning: Reexamining the Role of Light in Contemporary Light Installations Within the Framework of Islamic Traditions, With a Focus on “Journey of Light” and Iranian Examples نور به‎ مثابه واسطه معنا: بازکاوی نقش نور در چیدمان‎های نوری معاصر در چارچوب سنت‎های اسلامی، با تمرکز بر «سفر نور» و نمونه‎ های ایرانی 133 149 730041 10.22034/rph.2025.2069042.1171 FA راضیه مختاری دهکردی استادیار گروه ارتباط تصویری، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه شهرکرد، شهرکرد، ایران. 0000-0002-8076-1277 Journal Article 2025 08 16 This study provides a thorough reexamination of the role of light as an active mediator of meaning in contemporary light installations that are influenced by, responding to, or consciously referencing Islamic philosophical and artistic traditions. Light holds a special and multifaceted position in Islamic intellectual and aesthetic history. In Qur’anic interpretation, the Light Verse—”Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth”—is viewed not just as poetic embellishment but as a foundational point for reflection on presence, guidance, and understanding. Illuminationism (Wisdom of the Rising Light), established by Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi, elaborates a metaphysics of emanation, where varying degrees of light symbolize different levels of existence and knowledge. In Islamic architecture and visual culture—ranging from muqarnas and perforated screens to calligraphic and geometric patterns—light has served as both a practical technique and a symbolic medium. Contemporary light installations draw from this rich legacy but reinterpret it using new materials, programmable technologies, and performance-oriented spatial strategies. Despite a growing interest in these works, scholarship often divides into technical/formal studies and separate historical or symbolic analyses. This study addresses that gap by emphasizing the intersection of illuminationist symbolism, phenomenological perception, and formal luminous strategies. The research explores two main questions. First, in what ways does light effectively mediate the construction of meaning in selected contemporary installations? Second, what roles do the formal properties of light—such as intensity, direction, color, temporality, movement, and interaction with reflective or translucent materials—play in shaping the audience’s lived and embodied experience of these works? To address these questions, the study combines two complementary theoretical frameworks. Suhrawardi’s illuminationist ontology provides a lens for interpreting variations in luminosity as symbolic representations of ontological and epistemic hierarchies. Meanwhile, Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological approach to embodied perception offers insights into how the structure of luminous environments influences bodily attention, proprioception, and intersubjective orientation. The study employs a qualitative and analytical-critical approach. Using purposive sampling, it focuses on three significant installations for detailed analysis: 1- Matias De Falcis’s Journey of Light (2024): this installation is highlighted as a key international example that uses programmed temporal sequences of light to create an illuminating arc. 2- Afruz Amighi’s Angels in Combat (2010): selected for its rich Iranian cultural references, this work utilizes shadow, suspension, and semi-opaque membranes to explore themes of migration and contested sanctity. 3- Maryam Taghavi’s Being Nothing (2023): this installation is noted for its use of prisms, calligraphic allusions, and reflective surfaces that engage with concepts of presence and non-being. The study’s data sources include exhibition documentation, artist statements, critical texts, and high-resolution visual records. Visual materials were analyzed for various luminous aspects, including intensity gradients, chromatic shifts, directional vectors, movement dynamics, and material interactions. The interpretations were framed within a combined illuminationist and phenomenological approach. The findings indicate that light serves as a dynamic and multifaceted mediator of meaning through the coordinated deployment of formal properties that operate across temporal, spatial, and bodily dimensions. In Journey of Light, De Falcis constructs a three-stage experiential sequence. First, an initial field of darkness establishes potentiality and withdrawal. Second, a progressive accretion of discrete luminous particles fosters concentrated attention and a sense of becoming. Finally, a saturated luminous field affords a sense of plenitude and unitive presence. Calibrated intensities and chromatic transitions—notably a movement from cool, attenuated hues toward warmer, more enveloping tones—produce an affective and cognitive trajectory analogous to illuminationist schemas in which increasing luminosity indexes greater degrees of being and understanding. Spatial directionality—often top-down or axial—places the viewer within a mediated vertical axis of reception, reinforcing narratives of ascent and inward reflection. Afruz Amighi’s Angels in Combat reveals a different modality by which light frames social and historical narratives. In this work, backlighting, concentrated point sources, and semi-transparent screens cast viewers’ silhouettes and produce layered shadow-planes that become integral to the piece’s iconography. Shadows function as prosthetic carriers of memory. They instantiate absence and presence simultaneously and foreground themes of displacement, sacred struggle, and migration. The oscillation of shadows across layered surfaces, as well as the interplay of occlusion and partial revelation, creates a social tableau. In this tableau, the viewer’s body becomes an actor, and meaning is produced relationally between the object, the light, and the embodied spectator. Maryam Taghavi’s Being Nothing foregrounds prismatic refraction, reflective planes, and calligraphic reference to the nukhteh (the dot) to stage dialectics of presence and non-being. Focused beams draw attention to a central sculptural volume, while peripheral reflections and refracted fragments multiply vantage points and produce intervals of estrangement. Directional shifts and refractive dispersion generate sequences of revelation and concealment that resonate with theological and existential motifs of genesis, annihilation, and return. In Taghavi’s work, light’s refractive and reflective behaviors—coupled with culturally specific graphic allusions—translate metaphysical questions into perceptual operations that solicit bodily repositioning and reflective attention. Synthesizing across cases, four operative mechanisms by which light mediates meaning are identified. First, gradation: calibrated intensity and chromatic sequencing enact temporal narratives that can be mapped onto ontological hierarchies and epistemic transitions. Second, embodiment: spatialized and directional light configures bodily engagement, recruiting proprioception, kinesthetic adjustment, and attentional posture as components of interpretation. Third, relationality: reflective, refractive, and translucent materials generate dialogic interfaces where meaning emerges in the interplay between viewer, surface, and luminous field. Fourth, performativity: programmed temporalities, particle motion, and dynamic modulation of light produce sequences of events in which meaning accrues through embodied duration rather than static representation. The study further contends that contemporary technologies—LED matrices, projection mapping, fiber optics, and interactive control systems—substantially expand expressive potential without displacing inherited symbolic frameworks. Technological affordances enable finer gradations, rapid chromatic modulations, and choreographed temporalities that classical architectural devices could only approximate. Yet artists selectively integrate programmable techniques with Islamic semiotic registers—calligraphy, geometry, and traditional shadow play—so that technological media serve as amplifiers of cultural and metaphysical resonances rather than as neutral instruments of spectacle. Acknowledged limitations include the absence of sustained in situ ethnographic observation and physiological measures of audience response. These limitations constrain definitive claims about affective and somatic reception. This study mitigates these limitations by triangulating documentary sources and providing a rigorous theoretical framework. It recommends that future research employ mixed methods, such as phenomenological interviews, cross-cultural reception studies, and physiological monitoring (e.g., heart rate variability and galvanic skin response), to correlate luminous manipulations with embodied and affective states. Theoretically and practically, this research contributes an integrated model of luminous mediation that links doctrinal metaphors of illumination with embodied perceptual mechanisms and technological practice. Curatorial implications include the advisability of designing exhibition conditions that respect sightlines, dwell times, and bodily movement so that luminous gradations can realize intended narratives while preserving open-ended interpretive possibilities. Ethically, curators and artists should attend to the cultural valences of religious metaphors and provide contextual frameworks that enable critical engagement without reductive explanation. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that light in contemporary installations inspired by Islamic traditions functions as an active mediator of meaning. By orchestrating gradation, bodily engagement, material relationality, and temporal performativity, these installations translate metaphysical concepts into situated, lived experiences—thereby opening productive paths for artistic innovation, interpretive scholarship, and culturally attentive curatorial practice. Moreover, the research underscores the potential of light-based practices to foster intercultural dialogue and pedagogical initiatives that foreground embodied ways of knowing. Practically, it recommends collaborative design processes between artists, scholars of Islamic thought, and exhibition professionals to ensure culturally informed implementations. Methodologically, the study advocates for integrating qualitative narrative methods with quantitative physiological measures to produce robust, transferable evidence about how luminous interventions affect cognition, emotion, and social understanding. Finally, by situating contemporary technical affordances within a long history of Islamic light symbolism, the study argues for an expanded critical vocabulary—one that can account for technological mediation without divorcing works from their doctrinal and communal resonances—thereby enabling ethically sensitive, theoretically informed, and experientially rich approaches to future practice and scholarship. نور در سنت فلسفی و هنری اسلامی همواره جایگاهی نمادین و معرفتی داشته و در حکمت اشراق سهروردی و تفاسیر قرآنی آیه نور به عنوان واسطه‎ای میان عالم محسوس و معقول و نشانه‎ای از مراتب وجودی و هدایت معنوی تفسیر شده است. در هنر معاصر نیز نور فراتر از یک پدیدار فیزیکی، به ماده‎ای مفهومی و ابزار زیباشناختی برای بازتولید تجربه‎های چندلایه بدل شده است. هدف این پژوهش واکاوی نقش‎آفرینی عناصر فرمال نور ـ شامل شدت، جهت، رنگ و حرکت ـ در چیدمان‎های نوری معاصر و تبیین ظرفیت آن به‎مثابه واسطه‎ای فعال در تولید معنا و شکل‎گیری تجربه ادراکی و بدن‎مند مخاطب است. پژوهش با رویکردی کیفی و تحلیلی-انتقادی انجام‎شده و بر دو بنیان نظری استوار است: نخست، آموزه‎های حکمت اشراقی که نور را رمز تدرج وجودی می‎داند، و دوم، پدیدارشناسی ادراک در اندیشه مرلو-پونتی و لوین که بر زیست‎بودگی تجربه تأکیددارند. سه چیدمان شاخص باهدف آزمون این چارچوب برگزیده شده‎اند: «سفر نور» (ماتیاس د‎‎فالسیس، 2024) به عنوان نمونه محور، «فرشتگان درنبرد» (افروز عمیقی،2010) و «هستی هیچ» (مریم تقوی، 2023). گردآوری داده‎ها از منابع کتابخانه‎ای و مستندات دیجیتال صورت گرفته و تحلیل تماتیک بر مؤلفه‎های فرمال اعمال‎شده است. یافته‎های پژوهش نشان داد که «سفر نور» با گذار تدریجی از تاریکی به روشنایی و تغییر رنگ از طیف‎های سرد (نماد عدم و سردی وجودی) به گرم (نماد اشراق و گرمای الهی)، الگوی تدرج وجودی و تجربه اشراقی را نه‎تنها بازنمایی می‎کند، بلکه مخاطب را به مشارکتی فعال در فرایند تحول درونی وامی‎دارد؛ «فرشتگان در نبرد» از طریق نور پشتیبان و پرده‎های نیم‎شفاف، بدن مخاطب را به بخشی از روایت اجتماعی مهاجرت و نبرد تبدیل می‎سازد، جایی که سایه‎های متحرک و لایه‎های شفاف، تضادهای فرهنگی و عرفانی را برجسته کرده و فضایی برای تأمل در جدال میان زمینی و قدسی فراهم می‎آورد؛ و «هستی هیچ» با بازتاب‎های منشوری و شدت‎های متنوع در پیوند با خوشنویسی (مانند نقطه به عنوان منبع پیدایش) و حجم مرکزی، تجربه‎ای دوسویه از حضور و غیاب خلق می‎کند، که در آن تغییرات موقعیت بدنی مخاطب، معنا را به لایه‎های زیستی و فرهنگی گسترش می‎دهد. نتایج کلی پژوهش تأکید دارد که نور، با ادغام لایه‎های نمادین سنتی (ریشه‎گرفته از میراث اسلامی) و سازوکارهای ادراکی-بدنی (بر اساس پدیدارشناسی معاصر)، معنایی پویا، چندسطحی و انتقال‎پذیر پدید می‎آورد، و بدین‎سان به ابزاری خلاق و نوآورانه برای بازآفرینی سنت‎های تاریخی و گشودن افق‎های نوین در هنر معاصر بدل می‎شود، که این امر نه‎تنها غنای مطالعات هنری را افزایش می‎دهد، بلکه به تقویت تاب‎آوری معنوی و فرهنگی مخاطبان در مواجهه با چالش‎های مدرن کمک می‎نماید.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_730041_1f753e6a08722d57c02ee3ce0eeca3b0.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 The Influential Components of Presential and Acquired Knowledge in the Scientific Illustration Methods of Islamic and Western Civilizations مؤلفه‎ های تأثیرگذار علم حضوری و حصولی در شیوۀ تصویرسازی علمی تمدن اسلام و تمدن غرب 151 166 730586 10.22034/rph.2025.2063788.1157 FA ابوذر ناصحی استادیار، گروه ارتباط تصویری، دانشکده هنرهای تجسمی، دانشگاه هنر اصفهان، اصفهان، ایران 0009-0009-4316-6100 ساره مقامی کارشناسی ارشد تصویرسازی، گروه ارتباط تصویری، دانشکده هنرهای تجسمی، دانشگاه هنر اصفهان، اصفهان، ایران. 0009-0004-1435-0295 حسین قسامی دکتری فلسفه، گروه فلسفه، دانشکده ادبیات و زبان‎های خارجی، دانشگاه تبریز، تبریز، ایران. 0000-0003-1978-7774 Journal Article 2025 06 25 In the realm of visual arts, scientific illustration functions as a vital instrument for representing scientific concepts, natural phenomena, and visual aspects of knowledge. It bridges the gap between science and art by translating complex ideas and invisible realities into tangible and perceivable images. This study focuses on exploring the philosophical foundations of presential knowledge (ʿilm ḥuḍūrī) and acquired knowledge (ʿilm ḥuṣūlī) in shaping the distinct methods of scientific illustration developed within the Islamic and Western civilizations. By investigating these two epistemological approaches, the research seeks to clarify how different worldviews and scientific perspectives have influenced the visual language of science across cultures. The main problem addressed in this study is the identification of the factors that shape the similarities and differences in scientific illustration practices between these two intellectual traditions. In many cases, Islamic visual artworks have been undervalued or misinterpreted because of insufficient understanding of their historical, philosophical, and cultural contexts. The study assumes that divergent approaches to knowledge in these civilizations have deeply affected how artists perceive, conceptualize, and represent the natural world. Thus, a comparative analysis can reveal the underlying philosophical orientations that determine the form, content, and function of scientific illustration. The objective of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of how philosophical and cultural foundations have influenced artistic methods in depicting scientific subjects. It aims to analyze how artists have employed the two epistemic modes—presential and acquired knowledge—to visualize truth in different ways. In the Islamic tradition, artistic creation often arises from an intuitive and inward perception of reality, while in the Western context, scientific art has been shaped by empirical observation and external representation. Recognizing these differences contributes to a more comprehensive appreciation of the artistic and intellectual legacy of both civilizations. The research questions guiding this study are twofold. The fundamental question asks: What are the similarities and differences in scientific illustration between Islamic and Western civilizations, based on the epistemological approaches of each? The secondary question investigates: How do the roots of presential and acquired knowledge influence the artistic methods of scientific illustration in each civilization? Addressing these questions helps clarify the distinct mental frameworks through which artists have perceived knowledge and transformed it into visual form. This study employs a descriptive-analytical method with a comparative approach. Data collection was conducted through extensive examination of primary and secondary sources, including scholarly articles, books, and visual documentation. More than fifty illustrated scientific manuscripts, covering topics such as botany, zoology, and astronomy, were reviewed from both Islamic and Western traditions. Among these, seven pairs of comparable illustrations—each depicting the same plant species and dating from similar periods—were selected for detailed comparison. The analysis focused on identifying formal and conceptual patterns that reflect the artists’ epistemological orientation. The research is qualitative in nature, relying on interpretive methods to uncover how underlying concepts of knowledge have informed artistic choices. Findings from this comparative analysis indicate that Islamic artists, guided by presential knowledge, emphasize the inner essence and spiritual truth of depicted objects. Their illustrations tend to reflect not only physical forms but also metaphysical dimensions, suggesting a deep engagement with the inner reality (ḥaqīqa) of nature. The process of artistic creation in this context is considered a means of unveiling and participating in the divine act of creation. The artist acts as a mediator who perceives the truth of things directly, without relying solely on sensory or conceptual intermediaries. In contrast, Western scientific illustration, grounded in acquired knowledge, is primarily concerned with external accuracy and empirical fidelity. It reflects an epistemology rooted in Aristotelian logic, where truth is defined as the correspondence between mental representation and external reality. Hence, Western artists have prioritized observational precision, proportion, and measurable resemblance to the physical world. This epistemological divergence results in two distinct visual paradigms. The Islamic approach, informed by presential knowledge, aspires to reveal the unseen essence behind appearances. It values symbolic expression and spiritual resonance over material exactness. The Western approach, by contrast, seeks to represent nature as it appears to the senses, valuing clarity, empirical detail, and descriptive realism. While both traditions aim to communicate knowledge, their means of doing so reflect their differing conceptions of truth and reality. In the Islamic worldview, knowledge is illumination—a direct encounter with being—whereas in the Western worldview, knowledge is acquisition, obtained through observation, categorization, and reasoning. The philosophical implications of these findings are significant. In Islamic thought, particularly within the framework of Illuminationist (Ishrāqī) and Peripatetic philosophies, presential knowledge denotes a form of awareness in which the knower and the known are united. This unity manifests in artistic practice as an attempt to “recreate” the inner nature of things rather than merely to imitate their outward forms. Thus, the artistic act becomes a process of revelation (kashf) and existential participation, aligning with the metaphysical belief that true knowledge is presence, not representation. Conversely, Western epistemology, shaped by Aristotle’s theory of truth and later empiricism, separates subject and object, defining knowledge as a mental construct that corresponds to external reality. This separation leads to a visual tradition centered on representation rather than revelation, emphasizing mimesis and observable precision. From a methodological perspective, this study demonstrates how epistemology directly influences artistic style and purpose. In Islamic manuscripts, illustrations often integrate ornamental design, symbolic color use, and stylized forms, suggesting that the artist’s goal is not to replicate but to manifest meaning. Natural elements such as plants and animals are depicted with conceptual clarity rather than optical realism. In Western manuscripts, however, attention to anatomy, proportion, and perspective underscores a scientific ambition to describe nature objectively. The result is a visual system that serves as a didactic instrument, closely aligned with the development of modern science. The conclusion drawn from this research affirms that scientific illustration is not a neutral act of depiction but a philosophical expression of how each civilization conceives knowledge and truth. In Islamic civilization, rooted in presential knowledge, the purpose of illustration extends beyond representation—it becomes a means of contemplation, a visual reflection of inner realities. In Western civilization, governed by acquired knowledge, illustration functions as a tool of investigation, aiming to render the external world visible and comprehensible. Both approaches have contributed uniquely to the history of science and art, offering complementary insights into the relationship between knowledge, perception, and creativity. Ultimately, the study concludes that understanding the epistemic foundations of scientific illustration enables a more nuanced reading of visual heritage. It underscores the importance of recognizing how philosophical doctrines, cultural beliefs, and scientific paradigms shape the visual articulation of knowledge. By acknowledging these differences, scholars can better appreciate the diverse pathways through which human civilizations have sought to visualize truth, bridging the realms of science, art, and metaphysics. در هنرهای تجسمی، تصویرسازی علمی به عنوان ابزاری برای نمایش جنبه‎های بصری علم و مشاهدات طبیعی شناخته می‎شود. این مقاله به بررسی دو رویکرد علم حضوری و علم حصولی در تصویرسازی علمی در تمدن‎های اسلامی و غربی می‎پردازد. مسئله اصلی این تحقیق، بررسی عوامل مؤثر بر شباهت‎ها و تفاوت‎های موجود در شیوه‎های تصویرسازی علمی در این دو تمدن است چراکه بسیاری از آثار هنری اسلامی به دلیل عدم درک صحیح از زمینه‎های فرهنگی و تاریخی آنها، مورد کم‎توجهی قرار می‎گیرند. علاوه‎بر این، رویکردهای علمی مختلف در این دو فرهنگ تأثیرات قابل توجهی بر تولید و درک آثار هنری داشته‎اند و این موضوع نیازمند شناخت در عرصۀ علم و هنر است. هدف این پژوهش، درک عمیق‎تر از تأثیرات فلسفی و فرهنگی بر هنر تصویرسازی علمی و تحلیل چگونگی استفاده هنرمندان از این رویکردها به منظور تجسم حقیقت است. در این راستا، پرسش‎های پژوهشی به صورت زیر مطرح می‎شود: پرسش بنیادین: تفاوت و شباهت تصویرسازی علمی در تمدن‎های اسلامی و غربی، بر اساس رویکردهای علمی هر تمدن چیست؟ پرسش فرعی: ریشه‎های علم حضوری و علم حصولی در شیوۀ هنری تصویرسازی علمی هر تمدن چه تأثیری دارد؟ پژوهش حاضر با استفاده از روش تحلیل مقایسه‎ای و بررسی تصاویر نسخ خطی علمی، به تحلیل آثار هنری از دو تمدن پرداخته و یافته‎های این پژوهش بر این اذعان دارد که هنرمندان اسلامی از طریق علم حضوری، به کشف، تجسم و افشای حقیقت درونی اشیاء توجه دارند. در حالی که هنر غربی بیشتر بر تطابق محسوس از جهان پیرامون متمرکز است و در تصویرسازی علمی، رویکرد هنرمند غربی در مواجه با جهان پیرامون شناخت دقیق‎تری از فرایند تصویرسازی ایجاد می‎کند.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_730586_f406969bc51a3f84eb9f64f023eef222.pdf

دانشگاه بین المللی سوره رهپویه حکمت هنر 2980-812X 5 1 2026 03 21 A Critical Analysis of Historical Definitions of Islamic Art and Their Theoretical Evaluation Based on Formal Principles of Definition تحلیل انتقادی تعاریف تاریخ‎ نگارانه هنر اسلامی و سنجش نظری آن بر مبنای اصول صوری تعریف 167 181 731940 10.22034/rph.2025.2076648.1194 FA زهره سادات رحیمی فر دانشجوی دکتری پژوهش هنر، دانشکده پژوهش های عالی هنر و کارآفرینی، دانشگاه هنر اصفهان، ایران 0009-0000-0828-6494 محمدجواد سعیدی زاده استادیار، گروه پژوهش هنر، مؤسسه هنر و اندیشه اسلامی قم، قم، ایران. 0009-0006-1692-8112 Journal Article 2025 11 03 Islamic art, a rich and dynamic manifestation of Islamic civilization, emerged and evolved across a vast expanse of the globe starting from the 7th century CE. This legacy, born from the growth of diverse Islamic cultures and governments, has consistently faced a fundamental challenge regarding its definition, despite its global influence and status as a vital research area. Ambiguity surrounding the term “Islamic Art” and the lack of a single, universally accepted definition among prominent historians (such as Kühnel, Ettinghausen, Grabar, and others) have hindered the precise communication of its meaning and the establishment of robust theoretical arguments. Prior research has primarily focused on historical, chronological, and interpretive studies. The main objective of the present study is the critical analysis of historical definitions of Islamic art and the assessment of their theoretical soundness and validity based on logical criteria. The analytical framework is constructed upon the formal principles of definition: Comprehensiveness (Jāmiʿiyyah), Exclusiveness (Māniʿiyyah), Clarity (Wudūḥ), and Non-Circularity (Adam-i Dawr). The key question is which of these definitions exhibits greater logical consistency. The central hypothesis posits that none of the presented definitions, taken in isolation, are capable of offering a valid and comprehensive definition conforming to all formal principles of logic. This paper employs a descriptive-analytical methodology, aiming to reveal the shortcomings and strengths of each definition and to formulate a rational framework for understanding Islamic art by subjecting the existing definitions to rigorous scrutiny. This paper, utilizing a descriptive-analytical method based on qualitative library research, examines, compares, and analyzes the views of prominent Islamic art historians through the lens of a logical approach. The research is fundamental in nature and lacks statistical data. The science of logic serves as the primary tool for identifying the essential characteristics of a correct definition and preventing ambiguity. In the assessment process, the validity of Islamic art definitions is measured against the laws of definition to ensure the intended concept is accurately conveyed. The four criteria for a correct and useful definition are: 1- Comprehensiveness and Exclusiveness: means the definition must include all instances of the definiendum (comprehensiveness) and exclude all foreign instances (exclusiveness); 2- Clarity (being clearer): means the concept of the definition must be clearer to the audience than the concept being defined; 3- Conceptual Non-Triviality: means the definition must be conceptually distinct; and 4- Non-Circularity: means the definition should not employ the concept being defined itself. Despite the vast volume of historical studies in Islamic art, a systematic, analytical-critical, and logical assessment of the existing definitions has yet to be undertaken. This research adopts formal logic as its methodological instrument. Based on these principles, the definitions put forth by renowned historians—Kühnel, Ettinghausen, Grabar, Price, Brand, and Al-Bahansi—are evaluated against logical criteria. The ultimate goal of this analysis is to establish a rational framework for critiquing and comparing diverse viewpoints and to gauge the theoretical soundness and validity of these definitions within the field of Islamic art. Ernst Kühnel viewed Islamic art as rooted in the Qur’an and Hadith, possessing a spiritual and abstract nature that avoids the imitation of nature. Logical critique indicates this definition lacks sufficient comprehensiveness (focuses on early periods) and exclusiveness (shares spiritual nature with other religions’ art). It suffers from implicit circularity and insufficient clarity by referencing vague concepts such as “Islamic culture.” Richard Ettinghausen considered Islamic art a reflection of the culture, history, and religion of Muslims, influenced by Sasanian and Byzantine legacies. The critique is that it lacks sufficient comprehensiveness (overlooks works like Umayyad iconographies) but exhibits good exclusiveness. Referencing “Islamic culture and civilization” leads to implicit circularity, and it lacks clarity in delineating boundaries. Oleg Grabar defined Islamic art as a complex, evolving phenomenon resulting from dynamic interaction, not necessarily tied to purely Islamic tenets, created by Muslim artists for purposes related to Islamic populations. His definition exhibits high comprehensiveness but lacks sufficient exclusiveness (includes works with non-Islamic foundations). Ambiguity in “Muslim” and “purposes” diminishes clarity and creates circularity. Christine Price defines Islamic art as the art of Islamic territories, based on Tawhid (monotheism) and Tanzīh (transcendence), avoiding sacred imagery. Logical critique shows this definition lacks sufficient comprehensiveness (restricting art to Islamic-ruled lands). It possesses good exclusiveness and is strong in terms of non-circularity, but clarity is diminished by the lack of precise explanation of the practical manifestation of “Tawhid.” Barbara Brand characterizes Islamic art as serving rulers or the aesthetically minded Islamic community, influenced by Muslim thought, emphasizing order, symbolism, and the primacy of writing. Critique reveals this definition lacks sufficient comprehensiveness (inconsistency and restriction to patronized works). While showing good exclusiveness, the ambiguity regarding “Muslim thought” and the reference to “Muslim culture and thought” lead to a lack of clarity and implicit circularity. Afif al-Bahansi traces the origin of Islamic art to geographical, civilizational, and doctrinal factors, relying on Tawhidic beauty, abstraction, and Arabic script. This definition’s comprehensiveness is severely challenged by reducing the origin to “Arab” ethnic roots and neglecting non-Arab cultures/non-abstract works. Despite this flaw, it exhibits adequate exclusiveness and is strong in terms of non-circularity, but ambiguities render it narrow. Sheila Canby adopts a geographical, descriptive, and formal approach, emphasizing prominent visual elements (Arabic script, arabesques, and geometry) in lands ruled by Islamic dynasties. Critique shows this definition lacks sufficient comprehensiveness (focuses only on instances, neglects other components) and exclusiveness (shared visual elements with non-Islamic arts). It exhibits good clarity and adheres to the non-circularity criterion. Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair employ a historical and contextual approach, defining Islamic art as a “visual culture of place and time” created in lands where Islam was the dominant religion. This definition possesses sufficient comprehensiveness (wide range of works, historical context) and good exclusiveness (distinction from other religious arts). It shows good clarity and can be considered non-circular. Overall, this definition possesses one of the strongest logical structures among those examined. In conclusion, while numerous scholars have attempted to define Islamic art, most of these definitions adopt a reductionist approach, highlighting one aspect while neglecting others of this complex art form. The results of the logical analysis of the definitions by prominent historians show that all of them face challenges regarding the criteria of Comprehensiveness, Exclusiveness, Clarity, and Non-Circularity. In terms of Comprehensiveness, Grabar and Bloom/Blair are more inclusive, while Kühnel and Canby are less so. Regarding Exclusiveness, Ettinghausen and Price set clearer boundaries. Circularity is not observed in the definitions of Price and Canby, but it is evident in Kühnel, Ettinghausen, Grabar, and Brand, who resort to concepts such as “Islamic culture” to define Islamic art. The assessment correctly points out that most definitions emphasize only one or a few aspects of Islamic art instead of articulating its complete truth, and this reductionism detracts from both comprehensiveness and exclusiveness. Furthermore, this research is limited because the breadth of viewpoints restricted the possibility of addressing all of them within its scope; therefore, the findings only reflect the analysis of the selected viewpoints and do not claim complete comprehensiveness. Also, due to the difficulty of fully knowing the true essences of concepts (“real definitions”), the research adopted an approach focusing on “essential and necessary properties” and “descriptions” (Rusūm), aiming to provide definitions that are close to a “perfect description” (Rasm-i Kāmil) and are comprehensible and practical. Finally, a major challenge was the lack of explicit and direct definitions from many scholars, necessitating the “reconstruction” of definitions based on their writings, which may diverge from the authors’ original intentions. Overall, a synthetic approach that simultaneously considers the historical-cultural origin, the religious and aesthetic foundations, and the diversity and evolution of Islamic art is required to move beyond a single-dimensional view and achieve a more balanced and scientific definition. هنر اسلامی، به عنوان جلوه‎ای پیچیده و پربار از تمدن اسلامی، همواره در کانون توجه محققان بوده و فقدان یک تعریف واحد و جامع، چالش بنیادین این حوزه را شکل داده است. این پژوهش، با اتخاذ رویکرد تحلیلی و انتقادی، به واکاوی تعاریف هنر اسلامی ارائه‎شده توسط مورخان برجسته در گستره تاریخ می‎پردازد. هدف اصلی این مطالعه، سنجش نظری و تعیین اعتبار این تعاریف است تا به این پرسش کلیدی پاسخ داده شود که کدام‎یک از تعاریف تاریخ‎نگارانه، از لحاظ منطقی و نظری، از استحکام و پایایی بیشتری برخوردارند؟ برای نیل به این هدف، تعاریف منتخب بر مبنای اصول صوری تعریف (شامل معیارهای جامعیت، مانعیت، وضوح و عدم دور) مورد تحلیل دقیق قرار می‎گیرند. روش تحقیق، توصیفی-تحلیلی و ابزار گردآوری داده‎ها، مطالعات کتابخانه‎ای است. نتایج تحلیل نشان می‎دهد که هرچند تعاریف مورخان بخش‎هایی از حقیقت هنر اسلامی را در بر می‎گیرند، اما هیچ‎یک به تنهایی تعریفی منطبق بر تمام الزامات صوری ارائه نمی‎دهند. به‎طور خاص، تعریف کونل در هر چهار معیار دچار ضعف بنیادین است و تعاریف اتینگهاوزن و برند نیز به‎لحاظ جامعیت، وضوح و عدم دور دچار کاستی هستند. تعریف گرابار، با در نظرگیری تنوع فرهنگی، از جامعیت بالایی برخوردار است، اما در وضوح و مانعیت ضعف نشان می‎دهد. در مقابل، تعریف پرایس از مانعیت قوی برخوردار است، اما فاقد جامعیت و وضوح کافی است. همچنین، تعریف البهنسی با وجود قوت در وضوح و عدم دور، به دلیل محدودیت به فرهنگ عربی، جامعیت ندارد و تعریف کنبی نیز فاقد مانعیت و جامعیت لازم است. تنها تعریف بلوم و بلر است که از نظر جامعیت و مانعیت قوی و از نظر وضوح و عدم دور قابل دفاع‎تر از سایرین است. درنهایت، این سنجش نظری تأیید می‎کند که هر دیدگاه، بخشی از معنای هنر اسلامی را پوشش می‎دهد و ضعف عمده تعاریف تاریخ‎نگارانه در عدم رعایت کامل اصول صوری تعریف ریشه دارد و نیاز به تدوین چارچوبی دقیق‎تر برای فهم ماهیت هنر اسلامی باقی است.

https://rph.soore.ac.ir/article_731940_877cb449fcd95eb59cfcb8ff2c22449e.pdf