The latest cultural headlines in the media.

Book on Iranian culture and civilization published in Spain

Tehran Times: Iran’s cultural attaché’s office in Madrid has recently compiled a book on Iranian culture and civilization in Spanish.

The 425-page book “Iran, Cradle of Civilization and Culture”, which was published by Almuzara Editorial Publishers, reviews different aspects of Persian civilization in four chapters.

The former cultural attaché and professor of history at the University of Tehran Ahmadreza Khezri wrote the first chapter of the book covering 25 centuries of the history of Persia.

The second chapter of the book is dedicated to Persian literature. Renowned Iranologist and Persian language scholar Joaquin Rodriguez Vargas reviews Persian literature from the pre-Islamic period to 1492.

Persian art is discussed in the book’s third chapter, written by ancient art expert and professor José Maria Blázquez. In this chapter, the art of urbanization and sculpture from Achaean period is discussed.

The last chapter of the book on the concept of religion in ancient Persia was authored by university professor José Antonio Antón Pacheco.

Iran’s cultural attaché office in Madrid aims to introduce Persian culture and strengthen cultural ties by the publication of this book in Spanish.

Iran’s embassy will distribute copies of the book to several libraries, academic institutes and research centers throughout Spain.

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'Van Gogh's self-portrait is his brother'

Presstv: A new study has revealed that a self-portrait by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh is in fact a portrait of his younger brother Theo.

Researchers of Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that the painting which was thought to have been a self-portrait for a long time is actually a portrait of Van Gogh's brother, the website Art Daily reported.

Senior art researcher Louis van Tilborgh claims that the 1887 painting of a man wearing a light-colored hat and a dark blue jacket was in fact Theo van Gogh, Vincent's junior by five years.

The museum, which houses the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and letters, said that there are a number of obvious differences between the two brothers, including the neatness of the subject's beard and his round-shaped ear.

"The form and color of Theo's beard, more ochre than red, is also an indication" and the subject's "eye-color and the style in which he was dressed supports the new insight," the museum stated.

Theo van Gogh died six months after his older brother shot himself at the age of 37 in Auvers, France, in July 1890.

The new findings, arranged by Tilborgh and three other researchers at the museum, have been published in a 600-page catalogue.

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Art Bureau produces choral music in honor of Supreme Leader

Tehran Times: The Music Center of Tehran’s Art Bureau has produced a choral musical piece in honor of Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

“Production of the choral composition with the central theme of the leader was commissioned by the Art Bureau affiliated with the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization (IIDO)”, conductor Mehdi Vejdani said in a press release

A group comprised of nine graduates of music will be performing the composition of which the poetry is composed by Naser Feiz, he added.

The exact date of the performance was not given in the report.

Vejdani also said that the composition “Appearance” will be performed on July 16 in honor of Imam Mahdi (AS) on the occasion of Imam’s birth anniversary (July 17) at the Andisheh Hall of the bureau.

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Muslim organization protests depiction of Holy Prophet (PBUH) in ICSE book

IRNA: A Muslim organization at Lucknow, capital city of Uttar Pradesh state, has taken a strong exception to the depiction of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in a class IV book of the Indian School Certificate Examination board.

The founder of Sunni Markaz, Maulana Syed Hashmi Kichachauvi, said the Prophet has been depicted in lesson 'Being good and gentle' in the book 'Moral Education Ethics' prescribed for class IV of the ICSE board.

The maulana claimed that about eight lakh copies of the book have already been sold and demanded that central government tender an apology within three days and recall all such books from the market.

'Otherwise, we would be forced to take the help of the court and launch protest through democratic means,' pti said quoting Maulana as he told reporters in Lucknow.

The maulana said that if the said picture has been published without the knowledge of the Centre then a case should be filed against the board as well as the publisher.

“Islam prohibits depiction through photo and presenting it in a cartoon form is also a show of disrespect,' he said.

Member of the Markaz, S M Sahil, said his organization has already lodged its objection in this regard with the National Minorities Commission and their reply was awaited.

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