Qajar art

also: Qajar period art

tradition 1781-1925 Iran (Persia)

Qajar art is the art produced in Iran under the Qajar dynasty, from 1781 to 1925 - an era of relative peace after the bloody 18th century that let peacetime arts flourish. Its roots lie in Safavid painting, but its signature is European: exposure to European oil portraiture raised oil painting to the prestige medium, and painters combined realistic objects and dark saturated color with formulaic, idealized human figures. Life-size royal portraiture dominates, above all the many images of Fath Ali Shah with his narrow waist, long black bifurcated beard and dark eyes, painted by court artists such as Mihr 'Ali and sent to foreign courts as instruments of prestige. The era also produced rich lacquerware, a revival of pre-Islamic architectural motifs alongside Neoclassical and Neo-Baroque styles, and, under Naser al-Din Shah, an enthusiasm for photography.

Ardashir Mirza and Solayman Khan Saham-Al-Doleh Review Their Troops Material and Technique: Gouache heightened with gold on paper Sold at Ch
Ardashir Mirza and Solayman Khan Saham-Al-Doleh Review Their Troops Material and Technique: Gouache heightened with gold on paper Sold at ChPublic domain (credit: Unknown author Unknown author) · source

Defining characteristics

  • Life-size royal portraiture: frontal, static poses in richly patterned court robes and jewels
  • Formulaic idealized faces: narrow waist, long black bifurcated beard, large dark eyes
  • Heavy paint application and dark, saturated color inherited from European oil portraiture
  • Realistic still-life objects and drapery alongside idealized human figures
  • Calligraphic cartouches naming the sitter placed beside portrait heads
  • Birds-and-flowers motifs on solid grounds in lacquerware, tilework and textiles

Key figures

  • Mihr 'Ali (fl. 1795-after 1830) — Court painter whose portraits of Fath Ali Shah define the style
  • Fath Ali Shah Qajar (1772-1834) — Second Qajar shah, whose commissions made royal portraiture the era's signature
  • Kamal-ol-Molk (1848-1940) — Court painter who pushed Qajar painting toward academic realism
  • Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1831-1896) — Photographer-shah who patronized painting, lacquerware and the new medium of photography

Example works

  • Portrait of Fath Ali Shah Qajar in royal regalia — Mihr 'Ali (early 19th century)
  • Golestan Palace Complex — Qajar court architects (19th century)
  • Shams-ol-Emareh — Qajar court architects (1860s)

Sources

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