Rumi

Reviews / Votes

His detailed analyses bring to life the narratives and goals of this work and the world of Rumi, his wives, children, and grandchildren. The book will be invaluable for those interested in literary and artistic portrayals of Rumi and for the light it sheds on the Seljuk context, the birth of Mevlevi Sufism, and Ottoman artistry, especially its analysis of the 16th-century, Persian-style illuminations. [...] Recommended. -- S. Ward, University of Wyoming * CHOICE * John Renard accepts and engages in a truly difficult task: bringing together word and image in a collection of manuscripts illustrating the biography of Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273), the well-known Persian mystical poet and founding persona of the Sufi Mawlawi order. [...] His handy appendix of images and numerous pictorial reproductions provide supportive materials to any future projects that seek to pick up the topic of reception in relation to Rumi and his biography as mediated by images. -- Margaret A. Shortle, Museum fuer Islamische Kunst * Iranian Studies (2023) * This pioneering work offers scholars of Rumi a new lens with which to read his life story, the lens of images. Scholars of hagiography and art historians will find fascinating new ground for cross-fertilisation as will all those interested in illustrated manuscripts. This carefully contextualised monumental study will be embraced by students of Islamic history, art and hagiographical literature. -- Fatemeh Keshavarz, Chair and Director Roshan Institute for Persian Studies, University of Maryland