Illustration til Adam Olearius, “Persianischer Rosenthal von einem Sinnreichen Poeten Schich Saadi […]”, Schleswig 1660 1660

J. Muller created this illustration for Adam Olearius’s translation of Saadi’s “The Rose Garden” around 1660 in Schleswig. This image encapsulates the cultural exchange and orientalism prevalent in 17th-century Europe. As western eyes turned eastward, works like Saadi’s, a collection of Persian poetry and tales, became popular, offering Europeans a glimpse into unfamiliar worlds. Muller’s illustration, however, layers a European understanding onto Persian narratives, shaping how these stories were received. Consider how the figures on the shore, possibly meant to represent Persians, are rendered through a European lens. The illustration serves not just as a visual accompaniment to the text, but also as a negotiation of cultural identities, reflecting the complex dynamics of trade, exploration, and the construction of the "Other." It evokes a sense of both wonder and a somewhat skewed representation.