TEHRAN -- Another Persian translation of “A Tour of Iran” (“Voyage end Perse”), an illustrated travelogue of Iran by French painter Eugène Flandin, has recently been published.
The book has been translated into Persian by Abbas Agahi and was published by Mana Publications in Tehran.
According to the Encyclopaedia Iranica, in 1839, Flandin was, along with his fellow architect Pascal Coste, made a laureate of the Institut de France, and they both joined the embassy of the Comte de Sercey to Persia (1839-41).
After parting from de Sercey’s mission, they left Isfahan on May 31, 1841 with very limited financial means and retinue.
They pursued their periplus towards Hamadan, Kangavar, Bisotun, Shiraz, Bushehr, Tehran, Kashan and several other cities to record Persia’s ancient and Islamic monuments.
His paintings had not brought him the success he expected, at least not enough to get him out of financial troubles, and his career shifted to archeology and administrative work.
Despite its many predecessors, Flandin’s “Voyage en Perse” remains a model of its kind and an important source, particularly on early Qajar Persia, due to both its text and its illustrations.
It provides many valuable observations on history, archeology, arts, architecture, geography, social and court life, royal and provincial administration, military organization, etc. Itineraries are carefully noted.
Although the account of their Persian travel was written by Flandin, Coste provided very precise observations in his “Notes”, notably about their hardships, their shortage of money, the persons they met en route, etc.
Soon after their return in February 1842, they divided their respective tasks to publish their drawings.
MMS/YAW
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