Research on the Class Origins of Modern Painting Audiences in Iran between 1940-1970 A.D.

Modern Iranian painting emerged and developed between 1940 and 1970 A.D. and became the dominant current in the field of visual arts of Iran. The Khorus Jangi Society which consisted of a group of pioneering artists had an important role to establish this new current.The continuity and authority of this current is not only owed to the producers and distributors of modern works of art but also to the consumers-audiences of them. Although the emergence and continuation of Modern paintiongs was understandable along the policy of modernization, and cultural developments in Iran, it was not understandable for all urban classes. At the same time, the efforts of artists and the government to reduce the distance between people in general and these works of art were not very successful. Main question is about the origin and social class dependency of these audiences .Collecting information from the mentioned texts, and comparing them with the result of sociological studies about classes and social strata in Iran, has not only been effective in determining the accuracy and validity of this scattered information but also to some extent has clarified the class origin of Modern painting audiences. As a result, it can be said that most of the audience of Modern painting, not all of them, was from the upper class and elite, and the urban middle class, including intellectuals and students in genral. Due to some cultural factors such as religious and customary beliefs, and fashionism resulting from the modernization in Pahlavid era, it can not be inferred that all of mentioned classes had been consumers of Modern paintings or at least the most sincere fans of it.