inscrutable yet distinguishable things that were probably included in many
pictures； shadows of jinns and the Devil and also； the picture of the man’s
stunningly beautiful daughter as she stood beside her father。
“What was the narrative that this representation was meant to embellish
and plete？ As I regarded the work； I slowly sensed that the underlying tale
was the picture itself。 The painting wasn’t the extension of a story at all； it was
something in its own right。
“I never forgot the painting that bewildered me so。 I left the palazzo；
returned to the house where I was staying as a guest and pondered the picture
the entire night。 I； too； wanted to be portrayed in this manner。 But； no； that
wasn’t appropriate； it was Our Sultan who ought to be thus portrayed！ Our
Sultan ought to be rendered along with everything He owned； with the things
that represented and constituted His realm。 I settled on the notion that a
manuscript could be illustrated according to this idea。
“The Veian virtuoso had made the nobleman’s picture in such a way
that you would immediately know which particular nobleman it was。 If you’d
never seen that man； if they told you to pick him out of a crowd of a thousand
others； you’d be able to select the correct man with the help of that portrait。
The Veian masters had discovered painting techniques with which they
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could distinguish any one man from another—without relying on his outfit or
medals； just by the distinctive shape of his face。 This was the essence of
”portraiture。“
“If your face were depict