Famous ancient Persian art – Art and Visual Culture

Persian art, including ancient Persian art, dates back to the earliest chapters of human history. From the time humans first inhabited caves to the present day, painting has existed in various styles and traditions throughout different historical periods.

The history of Persian painting in Iran traces back to the era of cave dwellers. Painted depictions of animals and humans have been found in caves in Lorestan province, dating back more than 12,000 years. Additionally, paintings discovered on pottery in sites such as Silk Hill and Susa provide further evidence that Iranian artists in these regions were well-versed in the art of painting.

The patterns on the pottery are the shapes of animals and nature, which are very simple and geometrically drawn. Considering that the line was created from the painting, it seems that these paintings also had elements of the line. Also, a few paintings belonging to the Parthian period have been found in Khwaja Mountain in Sistan and Dora Europas in Mesopotamia, in which the religious traditions of post-Islamic painting can be clearly observed. Sometimes the style used in them is reminiscent of Iranian miniatures.

n the Sassanid era, the Iranian painter Mani Prophet left valuable works in the Arjang book. From the beginning of Islam to the Seljuk era, the Umayyad and Abbasid rulers monopolized Persian art and prevented its growth among the people to a large extent. In the first centuries of Islam, painting and drawing were mostly used in book design. Usually, the beginning and margins of the book were painted and decorated.

The art of book layout developed greatly during the Seljuks, Mongols, and Timurids. From about the 10th century of Hijri, the painting was introduced independently.

ancient Persian art

Types of traditional styles of ancient Persian art

Undoubtedly, traditional Persian artists create unique paintings, motifs, and designs using their rich taste, innovative power, and unparalleled skills. These features make Persian handicrafts truly special.

These motifs, which mainly include broken motifs and rounded motifs, are inspired by the lines of plants, animals, and objects, and are less realistically and mainly abstractly designed. It can be a metal work, a wooden product, a water-based product, a special embroidery, a textile, etc.

to impress the audience and make them think and ponder. This means that traditional design has the highest importance in the collection of traditional Persian art.

traditional styles of ancient Persian art

Miniature

Persian painting or miniature, which exists since the time of the Iranian master painter Mani in the Sassanid era, has special principles and rules, and features that distinguish it not only from European painting but also make it different from other styles that have been used as false paintings.

Some of the most important points are as follows:

1. Failure to respect dimension and perspective in the work
2. Failure to observe light shade at work
3. Avoiding plain reality and turning to or reaching the truth. (Staying away from the world of beings and paying attention to the world of should)
4. Imagination instead of recording the existing reality and naturally using ideal colors instead of available colors. The main characteristics of painting are related to its insight, thematic, structural, functional, and technical characteristics, which have caused Iranian painters to use this Persian art to draw and paint beautiful and meaningful images on books and walls.

And therefore, since ancient times, this characteristic art has mostly served as the art of book arrangement and mural painting, although today it is mostly manifested in beautiful paintings and eye-catching curtains.

The most prominent Iranian painter after Mani is master Kamaluddin Behzad Herati – the painter of Herat and Tabriz II doctrine – and in the contemporary era, we should mention master Mahmoud Farshchian who has presented exceptional works.

The important painting doctrine of Iran are:

1. Herat doctrine (Timur era)
2. Shiraz doctrine (Ilkhani period)
3. Tabriz First doctrine (Ilkhani Period)
4. The second doctrine of Tabriz (Safavid period)
5. Qazvin doctrine (Safavid period)
6. Isfahan doctrine (Safavid period)
7. Tehran doctrine (contemporary period)

Of course, each of them has singular characteristics and master painters, and each doctrine has left unique works. The fact that the Shahnameh left from different eras, especially the Safavid era, are considered masterpieces of book design and painting.

Miniature Persian art

Gilding

Gilding is a decorative border with geometric or plant patterns that are used to decorate the surahs or verses of the Quran, books, paintings, and calligraphy, and is usually accompanied by three colors: gold, azure, and red. This Persian art has also been popular since the time of Mani, with the name Zarnegari.

Tashir

Tashir, as Persian art, consists of decorative or ornamental borders in the text, which in addition to geometrical and plant images can also have animal images (real and legendary) and is usually monochromatic (mostly golden.) The differences between gilding and Tashir are from:

Artists use golden, azure, and red colors in gilding, but poetry is usually monochromatic. They apply gilding only in the margins, while poetry appears both in the margins and within the text. In gilding, artists include only geometric and plant images, but poetry also features animal images along with those.

Tashir Persian art

Flower and chicken painting in ancient Persian art

During the Safavid period, artists imported this type of Persian art to Iran from two European countries (France and Italy) and two Asian countries (India and China). It reached its peak in the Qajar period. Today, painters create images of flowers and chickens on various canvases, not just pressed paper or wood. People say this style of painting, now fully Persian in color, evokes spring, good times, happiness, and joy.