Bihzad, Kamal ad-Din, << BEE zahd, KAY mahl ahd DEEN >> (1450?-1535), was the most famous of the Persian miniature painters. He illustrated many famous Persian manuscripts, among them Nizami’s Khamsa (1100’s), Saadi’s Gulistan (1258), and the Timur Namah (1400’s). He excelled in drawing battle scenes full of dramatic movements. He also painted romantic and lyric nature scenes with delicacy and beauty. His pupils brought his style of painting to Herat (now in Afghanistan), Buxoro in central Asia, and India. Bihzad was born in Herat, and moved later to Tabriz. There, he became a favorite of the Safavid shahs (rulers) Ismail and Tahmasb (also spelled Tahmasp).
