Lovers in Art

Iranian Art in 1800s

 

Qajar Dynasty (1785 - 1925)

 

 

 

• Most of the portraits painted by artists during the Qajar Era were of men.

• The physical behaviors of women have been different from those of men.

• This has been reflected clearly in Qajar portrait paintings done by Mirza Baba.

• One can observe that women in Qajar paintings are depicted playing different instruments, dancing with castanets, and sometimes just resting or drinking.

• The arched eyebrows, aquiline nose, narrow kohl-rimmed eyes, elongated body proportions, and stiff treatment of the wide trousers usually represent women in Qajar paintings.

• Persian miniature painting, bear symbolic meaning. Qajar traditional portrait painting emphasizes the social status and power of the sitters.

• This consideration has a great impact on the treatment of the object held by the sitter.

• There is a clear difference between the objects held by men and women.

• Objects held by men are more related to the outer appearance of the sitter, more related to the public circle of society, while the ones held by women are more related to the domestic circle, a place governed by women.