Orhan Pamuk: The Painterly Practice of a Novelist

May 1, 2025

5 min. watch

Nobel Prize-winning writer Orhan Pamuk likes to visit The Met every Friday and Saturday evening to enjoy the “museum-ness” of the Museum. Join Mr. Pamuk for a look at the works that have inspired his writing for many years as he relays his journey from painter to writer and back again.

Painting of a hunter slaying a horned creature, with vignettes of other figures on horseback — Author: Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (ca. 940/41–1020); Painting attributed to 'Abd al-'Aziz (Iran, 16th century); Workshop director: Aqa Mirak (Iran, 16th century). "Bahram Gur Slays the Rhino-Wolf", Folio 586r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp (Iran, Tabriz, ca. 1530–35). Watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Arthur A. Houghton Jr., 1970 (1970.301.65)

Further Reading

Memories of Distant Mountains: Illustrated Notebooks 2009 - 2022 by Orhan Pamuk.

Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York, and in Canada by Alfred A. Knopf Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Limited, Toronto. Originally published in Turkey as Uzak Daglar ve Hatiralar by Yapi Kredi Yayinlan, Istanbul, in 2022.

Copyright @ 2022 by Orhan Pamuk.

English translation copyright @ 2024 by Ekin Oklap

Images and excerpts from Memories of Distant Mountains: Illustrated Notebooks 2009 - 2022 courtesy of Orhan Pamuk.

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Art Mentioned

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Water Lilies, Claude Monet French, Oil on canvas — Water Lilies
Claude Monet
1916–19

Wheat Field with Cypresses, Vincent van Gogh Dutch, Oil on canvas — Wheat Field with Cypresses
Vincent van Gogh
1889

Ancient Rome, Giovanni Paolo Panini Italian, Oil on canvas — Ancient Rome
Giovanni Paolo Panini
1757

Modern Rome, Giovanni Paolo Panini Italian, Oil on canvas — Modern Rome
Giovanni Paolo Panini
1757

Piazza San Marco, Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal) Italian, Oil on canvas — Piazza San Marco
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal)
late 1720s

"Siyavush Recounts His Nightmare to Farangis", Folio 195r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper — "Siyavush Recounts His Nightmare to Farangis", Folio 195r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1525–30

"Zal Consults the Magi", Folio 73v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper — "Zal Consults the Magi", Folio 73v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1530–35

"Tahmuras Defeats the Divs", Folio 23v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper — "Tahmuras Defeats the Divs", Folio 23v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi
Sultan Muhammad
ca. 1525

"Bahram Gur Slays the Rhino-Wolf", Folio 586r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper — "Bahram Gur Slays the Rhino-Wolf", Folio 586r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1530–35

"Kai Khusrau is Discovered by Giv", Folio 210v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper — "Kai Khusrau is Discovered by Giv", Folio 210v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi
Qadimi
ca. 1525–30

"Surkha Captured by Faramarz is Condemned by Rustam", Folio 204v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper — "Surkha Captured by Faramarz is Condemned by Rustam", Folio 204v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1525–30