The epic-romantic poem Varaqeh and Golshah is among the earliest works illustrated in the Seljuk school of Persian manuscript painting. This study focuses on a visual reading of one of the oldest extant illustrated copies of the poem through the lens of Gestalt principles of visual perception. The structural features of the selected miniatures provide a suitable framework for applying this theory. Gestalt theory, first developed in psychology and later adopted in art studies in the early twentieth century, has received little attention in the analysis of Persian miniature painting. Accordingly, this research examines three relatively well-preserved miniatures from the Seljuk manuscript of Varaqeh and Golshah, each containing varying numbers of visual elements and forms.

The main objective of the study is to explore the relationship between the seven Gestalt principles and the visual features of the miniatures, and to determine the degree of Prägnanz in each principle across the selected works. To achieve this, the study addresses two main questions: (1) How does analyzing the miniatures based on Gestalt theory reveal the relationship between visual qualities and compositional elements? (2) To what extent does each principle manifest in the miniatures? The research method is descriptive-analytical, with data collected through library and documentary sources. In terms of outcomes, the study is applied in nature and employs a qualitative approach with inductive reasoning.
The overall findings of the study indicate that applying Gestait principles of visual perception in the analysis of the miniatures reveals thair visual structure, enhances compositional coherence, clarifies relationships among elements, and facilitates a clearer understanding of the narrative while guiding the viewers gaze.