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The Ideals of Artists in the Revival of Contemporary Iranian Negargari from 1309 to 1340
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Parviz Haseli *   |
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Abstract: (15 Views) |
The revival of Iran’s national arts at the end of the 13th solar century (late 19th to early 20th century CE) was initiated by a group of artists. The cultural conditions of that era, along with the various perspectives that contributed to this revival in harmony, and the aspects that emerged in Persian painting (negargari), although addressed in some texts and studies, remain subjects open to discussion and reflection. This article aims to elucidate the ideals and motivations of artists involved in the revival of Persian painting (negargari) by examining their discourses, writings, and surviving works. It seeks to demonstrate how the idealistic components and aesthetic values emphasized by these artists are reflected in the structure, themes, and techniques of their artworks. In this process, the study questions the position of these components in the continuity and transformation of the Persian painting tradition, as well as their role in shaping its contemporary expressions. The research is fundamental and theoretical in nature, conducted through descriptive and analytical methods. Data were collected from library sources and direct observation of artworks, using note-taking and modern data-scanning tools.
According to the findings, contemporary painters initially engaged in the careful study and reproduction of earlier works in an effort to revive and reinterpret the compositional principles, stylistic methods, and visual language of traditional Persian painting (negargari). This process was realized either through the replication (mosanna-sazi) of masterpieces by former masters or through direct learning from the descendants of artistic families, ensuring the continuity of technical skills and the transmission of workshop experience. In the next stage, the artists adopted a new approach to reinterpret classical literary, historical, and social texts from a contemporary perspective, seeking to adapt ancient themes to the visual language and intellectual concerns of their own time. Exemplary cases such as the Khayyam-themed paintings represent the most notable manifestations of this tendency, in which a poetic vision is intertwined with a creative reimagining of Iran’s pictorial traditions. Nevertheless, most of the themes of this period remained faithful to traditional sources, drawing inspiration from classical literary, mystical, and historical subjects. Only in limited cases did contemporary or social themes find their way into Persian painting—reflecting the artists’ cautious attempt to respond to the transformations of their time while remaining within the framework of long-standing Iranian artistic traditions. Overall, it appears that Contemporary Iranian painters working in the tradition of Persian painting (negargari) sought to revive past artistic traditions and reclaim the former prestige and aesthetic values of Persian painting in a way that could respond to the needs of their own time. However, they did not establish a clear or coherent articulation and practice regarding the nature of this revival or the contemporary role of Persian painting.
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| Keywords: Artists' ideals, contemporary Persian painting, negargari |
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Full-Text [PDF 4128 kb]
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
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