The Fascination of Persia
The Persian - European Dialogue in Seventeenth-Century Art & Contemporary Art from Tehran
The bonds linking Europe and Persia became closer after 1600. This began with the Persian legation under Mehdi Qoli Beg at the court of Rudolf II and continued with the establishment of English and Dutch merchants as well as French religious orders in Isfahan. The cultural exchange had a lasting influence. Bearing testimony to this are the representations of contemporary Persians in Dutch paintings, the ‘European’ nude in Persian art, or the Persian sash as an integral part of the Polish national costume. Part of the exhibition is dedicated to contemporary Iranian art and addresses the question how we perceive Iran today.