Persia - Ancient Iran and the Classical World (Hardcover)

Reviews

"Stunning" by Kelly H. - 2 July 2022

As an art history student, I was introduced to Persia from the perspective of Rome and Greece. In the last few years, I’ve noticed and read a number of books telling a broader story, one written with a more balanced view, sharing discoveries from archaeology which add new dimensions about this fascinating period of time. It was with curiosity that I picked up “Persia” having read a well-written narrative on Persia which had no accompanying visuals. As Persians were such an artistic and creative people, with distinct clothes, architecture and symbolism, I eagerly opened this book to see the history rather than just read it. This book is by no means light on narrative, were you to just read this one, you would understand Persia, it’s rise and fall, it’s lasting influence and it’s idiosyncrasies but, you also get to look at magnificent artworks and read about the meaning and purpose of each. The visuals are large and I found myself examining some of the pieces for several minutes, mesmorised by the intricracies. Being placed geographically where it was, and with the travel the Persians did across the continents, it’s interesting to see influences from other places on the art and visa versa. It is a beautifully written journey through time with stunning art and sculpture, if you love history and art, do read this one! It’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale and highly recommended. I received a complimentary copy of the book from Getty’s Publications through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.