Near East Painting - Cahal Art - European Persian Art Conference

Qajar Art - History
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  Qajar Art refers to the art and style of the Qajar Dynasty [1781-1925] of Persia [Iran]. After a long period of instability and isolation of the Safavid Empire [1501-1736], the Qajar era witnessed the prosperity of artistic expression under the peaceful rule of Aga Mohamed Khan Qajar [1742-97] and his descendants. . The revival of Iranian cultural and artistic life began in the Zand period [1750-79] and laid the foundation for early Kzar art.

However, during this period the Persian contact with Europe was restored, which is also reflected in this type and theme. Inspired by European art, the Qajar style is inspired by the gorgeous European tones in the context of the Iranian royal tradition. Persian artists such as Abu Hassan Fahari [1842-66] joined the European School of Art in the late 19th century and their style reached a higher level. Through this exposure, Qajar Art, especially oil painting, is close to European masters such as Reubens [Italy, 1577-1640] and Rembrandt [Netherlands, 1606-1669].

Detail
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  Qajar artists are as versatile as their Zand & Safavid predecessors. Numerous artistic styles have been practiced, such as murals, oil on canvas, manuscripts, illustrations, watercolors, lacquerware, glassware, stone carvings and enamels. There are very few mainstream types of this style:

o Portraits - Early Qajar artists used portrait shapes to portray portraits, using gold and silver decorative elements on headwear and royal costumes to divide royal figures and civilians. The most famous of these works of art are the paintings of the rulers Fateh Ali Shah Qajar [1772-1834] and Mohammed Shah Qajar [1808-84]. Under the influence of Europe, portrait artists used Western character modeling techniques to add a certain degree of naturalism to painting, as seen by the watercolor paintings of Ali, the successor of the Prophet Muhammad.
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  o Floral theme - The highly stylized formal floral pattern is very popular in the Qajar era. In the 19th century, patterns of flowers, leaves, fruits and birds drew inspiration from imported European illustrations.
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  o Calligraphy - Calligraphic designs made by Qajar artists play a role in logos or icons in their paintings. This wave of movement was born in the Nastaliq style and later dominated Persian calligraphy.
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  o Textile Art - Under the influence of Europe, the traditional style of royal portraits gives way to Western military uniforms, making Shahs look more advanced and Western European monarchs. The portrait of Nassirudin Shah Qajar [1831-96] was completed in the second half of Qajar Era, depicting this change. Due to the spread of the West, portraying Persian women in fashionable European clothing is another major deviation from Islamists.

in conclusion
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  The Qajar era is a period of major changes in the Persian society. The most obvious of these changes is the influence of Western thought and technology on Persia in the 19th century. Qajar Art has an accurate visual representation of the duality of Persian culture, which is due to the influence of the West on the deep-rooted tradition of Persian.

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Orignal From: Near East Painting - Cahal Art - European Persian Art Conference