Just saw an interesting painting depicting a meeting between Darius the Great and the Scythians, by a Polish painter in the late 18th Century.
Link. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Smuglewicz-Pos%C5%82owie_scytyjscy_przed_Dariuszem.jpg)
Now, if you are on this board, you can immdeately tell what is wrong with this. But I find far more interesting what is right, at least loosely.
Now, it would appear that the primary inspiration for these outfits is a combination of then near-contemporary Ottoman styles and some vague knowledge of styles from Biblical times.
But somehow, there is a lot here that is, loosely speaking, spot on.
The carpet pattern could pretty easily be Scythian, and looks definitely non-Islamic. The armor is surprisingly accurate on the Scythians, though I think Trajan's Column has Sarmatian Cataphracts depicted in similar scale armor. Weirdly enough, the helmets look a lot like Parthian and Sassanian designs, that later on where copied by the Romans and resulted in even the far-off Sutton Ho helmet. The headresses, apart from the flat-out turbans, are not totally off base, weirdly enough. The guy in the back with the really tall one looks like either a Dervish or an actual contemporary Zoroastrian, and the Persians loved their big hats.
Now how would an 18th Century Polish painter know anything about Scythian carpets? I guess he might have seen Trajan's Column in person, but how did he get the helmets right?
I like pie...
I like cake.
How early is this Early Modern? I mean, I rarely get up before 7...
spellus why do you set yourself up so? :lol:
Is it that accurate? I didn't realize 5th century Scythians wore lamellar armor. And the rug certainly looks like modern Persian designs: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/chicago/2008-04-01-Bakhtiari71x100rug.jpg
How much gay is too gay?
Quote from: garbon on November 16, 2009, 10:41:23 PM
How much gay is too gay?
You're closest without going over.
Books had reached Poland by the 18th century.
Quote from: FunkMonk on November 16, 2009, 09:24:55 PM
spellus why do you set yourself up so? :lol:
If I have played my part well, clap your hands, and dismiss me with applause from the stage.
Quote
Is it that accurate? I didn't realize 5th century Scythians wore lamellar armor. And the rug certainly looks like modern Persian designs:
I think they were by the next century. The Persians wore something similar, but often under their clothes.
You might be right about the carpet, but that is partially because I think the Persian style and the Scythian might have the same root, although the Scythians had no objections to animal forms. What struck me in particular was the wave-like pattern on it, but that might be coincidental. Probably is.
I do not think you have built the case for any of your assertions, except for maybe with the helmets. But are those kind of helmets just a standard classical-type motif for some painters?