Qajar Painting

The Qajar dynasty, founded by Muhammad Khan (r. 1789–1797), ruled over modern-day Iran and parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia during the nineteenth century until it was replaced by the Pahlavi dynasty in 1925, when Reza Shah (r. 1925–1941) was declared the new king by the Parliament (Majlis). Seven kings, all sons and grandsons of Fath ʿAli Shah (r. 1797–1834), the second Qajar monarch, were patrons of art and architecture and oversaw administrative and political affairs in the country. Fath ʿAli Shah was known for his large-scale portraits and paintings, and Naser al-Din Shah (r. 1848–1896), the fourth monarch, encouraged new technologies during his reign, influencing art production by introducing photography and prints. Iran’s interactions with the West evolved during his reign, and new elements such as sculpted reliefs, photography, and monumental secular and religious architecture were integrated into the Persian art scene. As such, Qajar art is noted for its distinctive fusion of European elements and deep roots in Persian artistic traditions from both the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods. The survival of the pictorial tradition is perceived in oil paintings, manuscript and album painting, lacquerware, under-glass paintings, colored lithographs, and tile panels. Qajar painting is characterized by its exuberant style, vivid use of color, and meticulous attention to detail and shading. The rich Qajar iconography features flowers, foliage, fruit, pastoral landscapes, Persian kings, battles, and popular folklore themes. These topics were featured in paintings on paper or canvas and lacquerworks, now considered the best examples of Qajar painting. The bibliography on the Qajar painting is still in need of enrichment. One of the earliest accounts is provided by Robert Murdoch Smith, who established collections of Persian art for the Victoria and Albert Museum and viewed Qajar art with critical sympathy during his tenure as director of the Persian telegraph department from 1865 to 1888. Gianroberto Scarcia also wrote one of the earliest accounts of Qajar painting, first published in Italian in 1958 and republished in English in The Encyclopedia of World Art (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1966). In 1972, S. J. Falk’s Qajar Painting introduced the monumental and decorative mural paintings of 19th-century Persia to a broader audience. Appreciated for their ornamental qualities, these paintings were known to only a few in the academic and art world. Basil W. Robinson was among the early Western scholars to write about Qajar painting. However, like many of his contemporaries, Robinson was critical of what he viewed as the “deplorable” trend of Europeanization. This perspective is now considered outdated, as it fails to acknowledge the creativity of Qajar artists in synthesizing various traditions. In 1998, Layla S. Diba curated the first exhibition of Qajar paintings, based on several public and private collections worldwide. Since then, other exhibitions have been organized, the art market has become increasingly interested, and scholars show more enthusiasm for analyzing and examining different aspects of Qajar painting. Even though Persian-speaking scholars have written several essays on the subject, one may admit that the Qajar painting bibliography is far from the richness of Safavid or Timurid art and painting. This bibliography presents publications in English and Persian, with a lesser number in French, on Qajar painting. These feature primary studies on the artists, topics, and techniques of Qajar painting. Iranian, American, and British museums hold a significant part of Qajar paintings, making research accessible for scholars. Nevertheless, additional German, Georgian, and Russian studies, to name some, will undoubtedly complete this list, as several collections of Qajar art are found in these regions.