Greek and Chinese Painters - Daftar-e-Awwal

Since the beginning of time, Chinese painters and their Greek counterparts in Asia Minor have been bitter rivals, each believing themselves to be superior to the other. No one could honestly declare which painters' works were more beautiful or whose style was more advanced. This competition had lasted far too long, and the sultan of Rum, in Asia Minor, had grown tired of both sides' constant backbiting.

Finally, he decided to hold a competition to determine which painters were the most accomplished and deserving of their time. Two of the sultan's unoccupied houses, which faced each other on the palace grounds, were assigned to the two groups of competing contestants. The Chinese were supposed to reside and work in one cottage, while the Greek painters were supposed to dwell and work in the one across the street. They had one month to present the Sultan with their plans.

The Chinese were excited to get started and requested a variety of colors of paint, which they used to begin drawing their designs on the walls of their home. The Greeks demanded nothing in return. They'd brought along specific stones for polishing the walls' surfaces. They began the arduous work of rubbing away the residue of many years of rot and decay that covered all of the walls in their cottage shortly after arriving.

Countless hours of arduous effort by the Greek painters were required to erase the effects of many years of wear and tear on the aging walls, old paint, and mildew, which they washed and polished repeatedly. Meanwhile, their Chinese counterparts were busy putting layers and layers of paint to their own patterns, beautifying them as they covered over the old paint.

The Greek painters were well-versed in Chinese painting techniques and art. The Chinese, on the other hand, were completely unaware of what the Greeks were up to. People couldn't wait to see what the great artists of their time had been up to, and they couldn't wait another day. After a month of hard work, the artists were finally ready to present their works to the ultimate judge, the Sultan.

The day of the judging had approached, and both sets of painters awaited the arrival of the sultan with bated breath. While waiting for the final results to be announced, musicians filled the palace grounds, and people danced and laughed. When the Sultan and his company arrived, they headed straight to the Chinese chef-d'oeuvre. The motifs and colors used on the modest cottage's walls had turned it into a great palace of dreams! He'd never seen such wonderful paintings before and was blown away. The sultan took a long time to move outside the hut and dissociate himself from the splendor that surrounded him.

He was quite interested to see what the Greek painters had made now that he had seen what the finest artists could achieve. He reluctantly left the Chinese artists' cottage and crossed the street to the other property, which was obscured by an immense curtain. He ordered the curtain to be drawn aside, and he realized immediately what the Greek painters had accomplished.

The sultan stood in front of a crumbling cottage that did not appear to be ancient or dilapidated. Mildew and stains have been slowly and laboriously cleansed in the past. The painters had scrubbed, polished, and purified the walls to the point where everything was flawlessly reflected onto them, including the Chinese paintings in the cottage across the street, exemplifying their purity. The Chinese painters' work, in all of its complexity and beauty, was manifested in the simplicity and clarity of the Greek painters' art, making it unfathomably more wonderful.

The sultan couldn't hide his admiration for the Greek painters' ability to recreate beauty in its purest form, establishing the ideal state. He was certain which group contained the best artists.

Since the beginning of time, Chinese painters and their Greek counterparts in Asia Minor have been bitter rivals, each believing themselves to be superior to the other. No one could honestly declare which painters' works were more beautiful or whose style was more advanced. This competition had lasted far too long, and the sultan of Rum, in Asia Minor, had grown tired of both sides' constant backbiting.

Finally, he decided to hold a competition to determine which painters were the most accomplished and deserving of their time. Two of the sultan's unoccupied houses, which faced each other on the palace grounds, were assigned to the two groups of competing contestants. The Chinese were supposed to reside and work in one cottage, while the Greek painters were supposed to dwell and work in the one across the street. They had one month to present the Sultan with their plans.

The Chinese were excited to get started and requested a variety of colors of paint, which they used to begin drawing their designs on the walls of their home. The Greeks demanded nothing in return. They'd brought along specific stones for polishing the walls' surfaces. They began the arduous work of rubbing away the residue of many years of rot and decay that covered all of the walls in their cottage shortly after arriving.

Countless hours of arduous effort by the Greek painters were required to erase the effects of many years of wear and tear on the aging walls, old paint, and mildew, which they washed and polished repeatedly. Meanwhile, their Chinese counterparts were busy putting layers and layers of paint to their own patterns, beautifying them as they covered over the old paint.

The Greek painters were well-versed in Chinese painting techniques and art. The Chinese, on the other hand, were completely unaware of what the Greeks were up to. People couldn't wait to see what the great artists of their time had been up to, and they couldn't wait another day. After a month of hard work, the artists were finally ready to present their works to the ultimate judge, the Sultan.

The day of the judging had approached, and both sets of painters awaited the arrival of the sultan with bated breath. While waiting for the final results to be announced, musicians filled the palace grounds, and people danced and laughed. When the Sultan and his company arrived, they headed straight to the Chinese chef-d'oeuvre. The motifs and colors used on the modest cottage's walls had turned it into a great palace of dreams! He'd never seen such wonderful paintings before and was blown away. The sultan took a long time to move outside the hut and dissociate himself from the splendor that surrounded him.

He was quite interested to see what the Greek painters had made now that he had seen what the finest artists could achieve. He reluctantly left the Chinese artists' cottage and crossed the street to the other property, which was obscured by an immense curtain. He ordered the curtain to be drawn aside, and he realized immediately what the Greek painters had accomplished.

The sultan stood in front of a crumbling cottage that did not appear to be ancient or dilapidated. Mildew and stains have been slowly and laboriously cleansed in the past. The painters had scrubbed, polished, and purified the walls to the point where everything was flawlessly reflected onto them, including the Chinese paintings in the cottage across the street, exemplifying their purity. The Chinese painters' work, in all of its complexity and beauty, was manifested in the simplicity and clarity of the Greek painters' art, making it unfathomably more wonderful.

The sultan couldn't hide his admiration for the Greek painters' ability to recreate beauty in its purest form, establishing the ideal state. He was certain which group contained the best artists.