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“Never fear； I won’t offend your honor；” he said。 He laughed bitterly as he
circled around to face me。 “Even now；” he said； “as I’m doing this； it doesn’t
seem to be me。 It’s as if there’s something writhing within me pelling me
to do its evil bidding。 Yet I need that thing noheless。 It’s that way with
painting； too。”
“These are old wives’ tales about the Devil。”
“You think I’m lying； then？”
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He didn’t have enough courage to murder me； so he wanted me to enrage
him。 “Nay； you’re not lying but you’re not acknowledging what you feel
either。”
“I acknowledge very well what I feel。 I’m suffering the torments of the grave
without having died。 Unawares； we’ve sunk to our necks in sin because of you；
and now you’re preaching ”more courage。“ You’re the one who’s made me a
murderer。 Nusret Hoja’s rabid henchmen will kill us all。”
The less confident he became； the more he raised his voice and the more
fiercely he gripped the inkpot。 Would somebody passing down the snowy
street hear his shouting and enter the house？
“How did you kill him？” I asked； more to buy time than out of curiosity。
“How did you chance to meet at the mouth of that well？”
“The night Elegant Effendi left your house； he came to me；” he said； with an
unexpected desire to confess。 “He said he’d seen the final double…leaf painting。
I tried at length to dissuade him from making an issue out of it。 I got him to
walk over to the area ravaged by the fire。 I told him I had money buried near
the well。 When he heard that； he believed me…What better proof that an
illustrator is motivated by greed alone？ That’s another reason I’m not sorry。
He was a talented； but mediocre artist。 The greedy oaf was ready to dig into
the frozen earth with his fingernails。 You see； if I truly had gold pieces buried
beside that well； I wouldn’t have had to do away with him。 Yes； you hired
yourself quite a miserable wretch to do your gilding。 The dearly departed had
finesse； but his choice of color and application was ordinary； and his
illuminations were uninspired。 I didn’t leave a trace…Tell me； then； what is
the essence of ”style‘？ Today； both the Franks and the Chinese talk about the
character of a painter’s talent； what they call “style。” Should style distinguish a
good artist from others or not？“
“Fear not；” I said； “a new style doesn’t spring from a miniaturist’s own
desire。 A prince dies； a shah loses a battle； a seemingly never…ending era ends； a
workshop is closed and its members disband； searching for other homes and
other bibliophiles to bee their patrons。 One day； a passionate sultan
will assemble these exiles； these bewildered but talented refugee miniaturists
and calligraphers； in his own tent or palace and begin to establish his own
book…arts workshop。 Even if these artists； unaccustomed to one another；
continue at first in their respective painting styles； over time； as with children
who gradually bee friends by roughhousing on the street； they’ll quarrel；
bond； struggle and promise。 The birth of a new style is the result of years
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of disagreements； jealousies； rivalries and studies in color and painting。
Generally； it’ll be the most gifted member of the workshop who fathers this
form。 Let’s also call him the most fortunate。 To the rest of the miniaturists
falls the singular duty of perfecting and refining this style through perpetual
imitation。”
Unable to look me straight in the eye； he assumed an unexpected gentle
manner； and begging my passion as much as my honesty； he asked me；
trembling like a maiden：
“Do I have a style of my own？”
I thought tears would flow from my eyes。 With all the gentleness； sympathy
and kindness I could muster； I hastened to tell him what I believed to be the
truth：
“You are the most talented； divinely inspired artist with the most
enchanted touch and eye for detail that I’ve seen in all my sixty years。 If you
put a painting before me which had seen the bined work of a thousand
miniaturists； I’d still be able to recognize instantly the God…given magnificence
of your pen。”
“Agreed； but I know you’re not wise enough to appreciate the mystery of
my skill；” he said。 “You’re lying； now； because you’re afraid of me。 Describe；
once again； the character of my methods。”
“Your pen selects the right line seemingly of its own accord； as if without
your touch。 What your pen draws is neither truthful nor frivolous！ When you
portray a crowded gathering； the tension emerging from the glances between
figures； their positioning on the page and the meaning of the text
metamorphose into an elegant eternal whisper。 I return to your paintings
again and again to hear that whisper； and each time； I realize with a smile that
the meaning has changed； and how shall I put it； I begin to read the painting
anew。 When these layers of meaning are taken together； a depth emerges that
surpasses even the perspectivism of the European masters。”
“Fine and well。 Forget about the European masters。 Start from the
beginning。”
“You have such a truly magnificent and forceful line； that the observer
believes in what you’ve painted rather than in reality itself。 And just as your
talent could create a picture that would force the most devout man to
renounce his faith； it could also bring the most hopeless； unrepentant
unbeliever to Allah’s path。”
185
“True； but I’m not sure that amounts to praise。 Try again。”
“There’s no miniaturist who knows the consistency of paint and its secrets
as well as you do。 You always prepare and apply the glossiest； most vibrant；
most genuine colors。”
“Yes； and what else？”
“You know you’re the greatest of painters after Bihzad and Mir Seyyid Ali。”
“Yes； I’m aware of this。 If you are too； why are you making the book with
that model of mediocrity Black Effendi？”
“First； the work he does doesn’t require a miniaturist’s skill；” I said。
“Second； unlike yourself； he’s not a murderer。”
He smiled sweetly under the influence of my joke。 With this； I thought I
might be able to escape this nightmare thanks to a new expression—this word
“style。” Upon my broaching the subject； we began a pleasant discussion
concerning the bronze Mongol inkpot he held； not like father and son； but like
two curious and experienced old men。 The weight of the bronze； the balance of
the inkpot； the depth of its neck； the length of old calligraphy reed pens and
the mysteries of red ink； whose consistency he could feel as he gently swung
the inkpot before me…We agreed that if the Mongols hadn’t brought the
secrets of red paint—which they’d learned from Chinese masters—to
Khorasan； Bukhara and Herat； we in Istanbul couldn’t make the