I AM CALLED “BUTTERFLY”
I AM CALLED “BUTTERFLY” (第1/3页)
Themiddayprayershadyettobecalled.Aknockatthedoor:IopenedittofindBlackEffendi,whowasamongusforawhileduringourapprenticeships.Weembracedandkissedonthecheeks.Iwaswonderingwhetherhe’dbroughtsomewordfromhisEnishte,whenhesaidthathewantedtolookatthepagesI’dbeenillustratingandatmypaintings,thathe’dcalledinfriendship,andwasgoingtodirectaquestiontomeinthenameofOurSultan.“Verywell,”Isaid,“what’sthequestionI’mtoanswer?”
Hetoldme.Verywell,then!
StyleandSignature“Aslongasthenumberofworthlessartistsmotivatedbymoneyandfameinsteadofthepleasureofseeingandabeliefintheircraftincreases,”Isaid,“wewillcontinuetowitnessmuchmorevulgarityandgreedakintothispreoccupationwith”style“and”signature.“”Imadethisintroductionbecausethiswasthewayitisdone,notbecauseIbelievedwhatIsaid.Trueabilityandtalentcouldn’tbecorruptedevenbytheloveofgoldorfame.Furthermore,iftruthbetold,moneyandfamearetheinalienablerightsofthetalented,asinmycase,andonlyinspireustogreaterfeats.ButifIweretosaythisopenly,themediocreillustratorsintheminiaturists’division,rabidwithenvy,wouldpounceuponme,so,toprovethatIlovethisworkmorethantheythemselvesdo,I’llpaintthepictureofatreeonagrainofrice.I’mwellawarethatthislustfor“style,”“signature‘and”character“hascometousallthewayfromtheEastbywayofcertainunfortunateChinesemasterswho’vebeenledastrayundertheinfluenceoftheEuropeans,bypicturesbroughttherefromtheWestbyJesuitpriests.Nevertheless,letmetellyouthreeparablesthatcomprisearecitalonthistopic.”
ThreeParablesonStyleandSignatureALIFOnceuponatime,totheNorthofHerat,inamountaincastle,therelivedayoungKhanwhowasfascinatedwithilluminatingandpainting.ThisKhanlovedonlyoneofthewomeninhisharem,andthisstrikingTatarwoman,whomhelovedmadly,lovedhiminreturn.Theyengagedinsuchboutsoflovemaking,sweatinguntilmorning,andlivedinsuchecstasythattheironlywishwastoliveeternally.
Theysoondiscoveredthebestwaytorealizetheirwishwasbyopeningbooksandgazing,forhoursandhoursanddaysonend,upontheastoundingandflawlesspicturesoftheoldmasters.Astheystaredattheseperfectrenderings,unfalteringlyreproduced,theyfeltasthoughtimewouldstopandtheirownfelicitywouldminglewiththeblissofthegoldenagerevealedinthestories.Intheroyalbookmaker’sworkshop,therewasaminiaturist,amasterofmasters,whomadethesameflawlesspiecesoverandoverforthesamepagesofthesamebooks.Aswashiscustom,themasterdepictedtheanguishofFerhad’sloveforShirin,orthelovinganddesirousglancesbetweenLeylaandMejnun,ortheduplicitous,suggestivelooksHüsrevandShirinexchangedinthatfabledheavenlygarden—withoneslightalterationhowever:Inplaceoftheselegendarylovers,theartistwouldpainttheKhanandhisTatarbeauty.Beholdingthesepages,theKhanandhisbelovedwerethoroughlyconvincedthattheirrapturewouldneverend,andtheyshoweredthemasterminiaturistwithpraisesandgold.Eventually,however,thisadulationcausedtheminiaturisttostrayfromgoodsense;incitedbytheDevil,hedismissedthefactthathewasbeholdentotheoldmastersfortheperfectionofhispictures,andhaughtilyassumedthatatouchofhisowngeniuswouldmakehisworkevenmoreappealing.TheKhanandhisbeloved,consideringtheseinnovations—thepersonalstylistictouchesofthemasterminiaturist—nothingbutimperfections,weredeeplydisturbedbythem.Inthepaintings,whichtheKhanobservedatlength,hefeltthathisformerblisshadbeendisruptedinnumerousways,andhegrewincreasinglyjealousofhisTatarbeautywhowasdepictedwiththeindividualtouchofthepainter.So,withtheintentionofmakinghisprettyTatarjealous,hemadelovewithanotherconcubine.Hisbelovedwassobereftuponlearningofthisbetrayalfromtheharemgossipsthatshesilentlyhangedherselffromacedartreeintheharemcourtyard.TheKhan,understandingthemistakehe’dmadeandrealizingthattheminiaturist’sownfascinationwithstylelaybehindthisterribleincident,immediatelyblindedthismasterartistwhomtheDevilhadtempted.
BAOnceuponatimeinacountryintheEasttherewasanelderlySultan,aloverofillustrations,illuminationsandminiatures,wholivedhappilywithhisChinesewifeofunsurpassedbeauty.Alas,itsoonhappenedthattheSultan’shandsomesonfromapreviousmarriageandtheSultan’syoungwifehadbecomeenamoredofeachother.Theson,wholivedinterrorofhistreacheryagainsthisfather,andashamedofhisforbiddenlove,sequesteredhimselfinthebookmaker’sworkshopandgavehimselfovertopainting.Sincehepaintedoutofthesorrowandstrengthofhislove,eachofhispaintingswassomagnificentthatadmirerscouldn’tdistinguishthemfromtheworkoftheoldmasters.TheSultantookgreatprideinhisson,andhisyoungChinesewifewouldsay,“Yes,magnificent!”asshelookeduponthepaintings.“Yet,timewillsurelypass,andifhedoesn’tsignhiswork,noonewillknowthathewastheoneresponsibleforthismajesty.”TheSultanresponded,“Ifmysonsignshispaintings,won’thebeunjustlytakingcreditforthetechniquesandstylesoftheoldmasters,whichhehasimitated?Moreover,ifhesignshiswork,won’thebesaying”Mypaintingsbearmyimperfections“?”TheChinesewife,seeingthatshewouldn’tbeabletoconvinceherelderlyhusbandonthisissueofsignature,was,however,eventuallysuccessfulinpersuadinghisyoungson,confined,asalways,inthebookmaker’sworkshop.Humiliatedathavingtoconcealhislove,persuadedbyhisprettyyoungstepmother’sideasandwiththeDevil’scoercion,thesonsignedhisnameinacornerofapainting,betweenwallandgrass,inaspotheassumedwasbeyondnotice.This,thefirstpicturehesigned,wasascenefromHüsrevand
Shirin.Youknowtheone:AfterHüsrevan
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