History of Graphic Design - Miniatures

Miniatures

• In this miniature painting of king Henry I of England, from illuminated Chronicle of Matthew, Paris, (1236-1259), now in British Library, many of the principles of the modern graphic design is followed. The 13th-century paintings with their bright and golden colors were influenced by the Byzantine art. After the crusaders' sack of Constantinople in 1204, many works of Byzantine art entered and influenced Western Europe.

• In this Iranian miniature, based on the tragedy of two lovers Laily and Majnoon by Nizami Ganjavi (second half of the 16th century), the broken perspective, together with utilization of text and design is used to communicate the message of the story.

• In this 16th-century miniature of Reza Abbasi the simplicity of composition and the harmony of color scheme are consistent with the minimalist principles of the modern graphic design.

• The Iranian graphic designers of Indian court Mir Sid Ali, and Abdol-Sanad Khan in the second half of the 16th century influenced the Indian miniature paintings. In this 18th-century miniature the impact of this influence can be detected.