I ers e afraid of o conclude t not a single  me , I sensed t t ting appearance at te sent me to rators and o come t made me quite uneasy.

    In te asked me to sit before o describe traits an, Refuge of ted quite a number of palazzos, cood before traits. ed on stretced directly onto . tinctive, unique oxicated by ty, tness—even severity—of t lig seemed to fall on ting from their eyes.

    “As if a virulent plague ruck, everyone  made,” ial men ed traits painted as a symbol, a memento of t alanding before us, announcing tence, nay, ty and distinction.”

    tling, as if  of jealousy, ambition or greed. t times, as alked about traits ly liged.

    Portraiture agion among affluent men, princes and great families  t even  tance, in a painting of t. Step among tearful graveside mourners, tour—in a state of pure ention and conceit—of tings , in ting St. Peter curing t t tunate one , trong-as-an-ox brote . time in a piece depicting tion of t wuffed  lunch.

    “Some  to be included in a painting,” said my Enisalking about temptations of Satan, “t to be portrayed as a servant filling goblets in toning an adulteress, or a murderer, his hands drenched in blood.”

    Pretending not to understand, I said, “Exactly trated books t recount ancient Persian legends. Or amerlane, erory of hüsrev and Shirin.”

    as the house?

    “It’s as if tian paintings o frige later. “And it isn’t enoug y and money of t us to kno simply existing in terious event. ttempting to ter