Reflections on Qajar Art and Its Significance

At the same time that Qajars were reigning Iran, many changes appeared in most of European and Asian cultures so that Qajar art was also affected by them. Therefore, continuation of the tradition Golestān-e Honar 14, Winter 2009 6 of visual arts in Iran may have been interrupted in Qajars period. However, on the one hand they used to be penchant for Persian traditional forms and issues in the period, especially for Sassanid and Achaemenian relieves, and on the other hand, there are elements in portraits of Qajar kings which can be rather found in descriptions of ancient texts than remained images of the past. One of the first effects of Qajar paintings was largeness of sizes which showed a very fracture with past, and was considered as a new event in Persian figurative arts. There are many differences between the art in early and late period of Qajars, of which the most significant reason is the development of photography. Despite finding repetitive and inexpressive faces and bodies in Qajar paintings, a kind of attraction is found, which is a consequence of their instinctive simplicity. These works cannot be considered as ways of showing the power of Qajar kings; rather they show an original modernity and popularity. The most attractive aspect of Qajar art is looking for this modernity, and the result of such demand is what is now remained of Qajar art.