Iranian Studies

Abstract Apart from the artistic and historical aspects, paintings are one of the cultural, artistic and literary manifestations in different periods of Iranian art history. The first aspect of the importance of these issues is the connection with the rich Iranian literature and the transmission of literature and cultural and artistic traditions of different periods. The study of these works can be important for their conceptual, symbolic, literary and decorative features and visual features. One of the examples of the connection between Qajar painting and literature is the manuscript that was painted by an artist named Karamali in the Qajar period and no specific information about his life is available. The painting, numbered LOT144 R, sold for 6 6,000 at the 2018 Bonhams Auction in London. This copy was made and customized for Mirza Mahmoud Khan, the representative of Iran in The Hague, the Netherlands. This version has 24 images, 9 of which were sold at auction and its images are available. The purpose of this research is to find out the characteristics of Lily Majnoon version related to the Qajar period, which features are influenced by its period. The question of this research is what visual features does this Qajar version of Lily Majnoon have and what effect does it reflect on the atmosphere of her time in painting? The research method in this research is descriptive-analytical using library resources and reviewing the linear sample of Bonhams auction and the method of analysis is based on the principles and visual rules used in the manuscript and its appearance features. The necessity and importance of research is that this rare Qajar version has not been introduced and studied so far and reflects the cultural and artistic features of the Qajar period in linear painting of this period and shows the necessity of this research.
 

Abstract In modern times, sign has been the center of human’s attention and is among the topics that have undergone thorough rethinking. Qajar painting has witnessed the development of semiotic readings in recent decades. Abundantly seen in Qajar painting, bird is one of the main signs in Qajar period. Adopting iconographic interpretation, Erwin Panofsky (1892-1968) relates studies on the history of art with other studies of humanities. In comparative studies, we do not always examine formal qualities of an artwork, but find relations between the work and literature, philosophy, social system, and other cultural systems of its era, whether the artist had such an intention or not. To do so, the research analyzes the key concepts of Panofsky’s theory. Based on this analysis, the main question of the research is as follows: According to Panofsky, what is the signification of bird in the portraits of men and women of the court in the Qajar era? The content of this research is qualitative and based on descriptive-analytic methodology and the method of library data collection. The findings indicate that the norms of aesthetics of Iran in the preceding periods influenced the display and presence of bird in Qajar art. In these works, bird acts as an active and dynamic symbol that is in balance with the painting and manifested in the evolution of the final process of the portrait.