Assessing Orientation of Painting System through Constitutional Revolution Era

Considering native modernism existence, Iranian constitutional revolution can be contemplated as an exordium for cultural transition because constitutionalism movement played a significant role in transferring modern concepts to Iran. This kind of perception about modernism oversees the experimental and practical events, and also provides the opportunity to survey art system shift in the context of social transition. Qajar court had tendency to a kind of imperative modernism, as a result, Iranian painting admitted elements out of art system and started a realistic approach. Art system had its own choice when encountered social changes. In this research, we tried to indicate that Qajar court demonstrated and divulged its artistic preferences in what circumstances, and how applied formal transformation for its own purposes. Court represented its own cultural position regarding time requirements, and selected special artistic framework proportional to those requirements. Court also prevented opposition from owning a specific form of art. Being retrogressive or progressive in art field pertains to the art relationship with society for an opinionated governor, and Art silence and dynamism depends on these factors. If we disregard the holistic statement that painting system in Qajar dynasty was court-dependent, and in turn consider the impressive movement of constitutional revolution, we can observe a theoretical context that is provided for painting in the following of awareness era. Some of the intellectuals including Mirza Agha Khan Kermani expressed viewpoints about artistic modernism which mostly emphasized on social commitment of art and effective role of art among public. However, the opposition of court did not support painting sufficiently even after the revolution. Meanwhile, Iranian naturalism also receded from expressing explicit social concepts. Painting was opposite with court and court opposition. Complication of art orientation issue is defined by representation of two-sided concept of court and opposition, and indicating two aspects of court including despotism and reformist, and these reminded the problems of artist separation from court and finding new support. Visual knowledge of public had been increased by newspapers but society cultural limitations in mentioned era didn’t allow artist to transfer his approach explicitly from court to oppositions; in addition, liberalism structure wasn’t strong enough to play its supportive role for trouble-maker art “painting”. The obstacles toward achieving committed art can be indicated with assessing essence and positioning of court and liberalism structure, society, and painter stratum. The artist social ranking is an important element for understanding the effect of artist changing supporter on his career. In this article, with introducing the status of artist, the painter of fore- mentioned era are put in template regarding their function in society. Some of the painters before and after the constitutional revolution legitimized court and showed court authority; however, some others represented the samples of modernism elements in painting which was the indirect achievements of social transitions. This group of artists performed newly -formed ethnography, painted portraits of people out of court, and followed new approach about women.