Perzische tempel en grafmonumenten 1728

This print, made by Bernard Picart, depicts a Persian temple and burial monuments. It’s from a series of prints that circulated widely in Europe, creating an image of ‘the Orient’ for European audiences. The architecture shows an imagined ancient Persian temple, a ‘Temple of Fire’ as the French caption states. Picart’s vision of Persian culture is filtered through European expectations and knowledge, blending accurate details with invented elements. The depiction of the ‘sepulchres des Gaures,’ or Zoroastrian burial sites, reflects European fascination with exotic burial rituals. The bodies, exposed to the elements and birds, contrast with Western burial traditions, and would have fueled cultural stereotypes. Prints like these played a crucial role in shaping European perceptions of non-Western cultures. By examining the choices Picart made, and comparing his work to texts that describe such monuments, we can uncover the complex interplay between observation, imagination, and cultural bias in the construction of knowledge during this period.