International Journal of Innovative Research in the Humanities Vol.1, NO.3 , P: 91 - 110 Received : 19 July 2021 Accepted : 12 August 2021

Representation of Women in Iranian Painting (Case Study: Safavid and Qajar Paintings)

Sama Moazami* recognizing the characteristics and Graduate of Master of Social Sciences, developments of the female image in different Kharazmi University, epochs of painting, and by referring to some [email protected] works, we examined the images. In the works Shahla Bagheri Mayab of pre-Qajar painting epochs, women often had Associate Professor, Department of Social an exemplary and mythical status and has been Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran depicted in terms of unnatural design and its [email protected] visual value has been like other elements of Robabeh Ghazali painting. But at the end of Safavid epoch, due Assistant Professor, Department of Costume to the connection with the West, we are Design, Al-Zahra University, Tehran witnessing a change in the type of attitude [email protected] towards painting, and as a result there is a change in naturalistic in depicting the body of women, as well as in the formation of monographs, which led to a different image of Abstract women than before in Iranian painting. During Iranian painting has undergone many changes the Qajar epoch, due to the strong influences of during different historical epochs. These Western art and naturalistic methods and developments are due to factors such as social, painting techniques of the West, as well as political, cultural, religious and the tastes of using realistic painting of the West and the kings in relation to the Far East and the West. symbolic and miniature aspects of Iran, a This descriptive-analytical research, which is different art was formed in Iran . based on Fiske's semiotic approach and Keywords: Representation, Female Image, according to the views and theories of Stuart West, Qajar Epoch, Safavid Epoch. Hall's representation, uses a qualitative content analysis and visual reading and textual- pictorial data. The purpose of this study was to Introduction investigate the female element in terms of Art in any epoch is the manifestation of meaning and content in Iranian paintings and thoughts, beliefs, ideas, customs and traditions, also to identify the causes and factors of and in short, the culture of a nation that changes in the social and cultural status of originates from the worldview of that nation. women in order to identify their true place in Therefore, by examining the works of art of a historical epochs. It also examines these nation in any historical epoch, one can find images in Qajar and Safavid epochs due to valuable information about culture, its roots of their connection with the West, which was a growth or decline. This indicates the key point kind of traditional and modern duality that art is related to its time (Zaboli Nejad, appeared in the social, cultural and artistic 2008: 157). relations of the society and it has an influential One of the cases that can be considered in the trend on the status of women. In this study, by study of motifs is the woman as a member of

91 society who has always been of special interest (Shayestehfar, Khazaei, Abdolkarimi, 2014), in literature and art, representing and depicting "Comparative study of women's clothing in each of the natural, human and imaginative Safavid travelogues and paintings "(Vali elements in such works is based on the attitude Ghojagh, Mehrpooya, 2018)," Study of and inference of society and artists towards women's social presence and the evolution of these elements. In the Safavid epoch and with clothing in Safavid paintings "(Taghavi, the arrival of Europeans in Iran and the Mousavi, 2013)," Comparison of women's influences that the West had on Iranian art, we image in India in Safavid and Qajar epoch – are witnessing the depiction of more and more Case Study sample: Painting"(Rezaei, Nazari women. This trend continued until later Arshad, Tahmasebizadeh and Askar in Safavid epochs, especially the Qajar epoch, and Epochs with Emphasis on the Works of Reza gradually it is gaining more influence from Abbasi" (Mohebbi, Ghavam and Ranjbar, Western art. By examining the paintings and 2017), "Hasbiyeh for Women" (Variji and murals of the Safavid and Qajar epochs, we Momeni, 2016), "Visual gender ideology in the will encounter the specific features of each works of male and female painters on the epoch in representing the role of women . subject of women's portraits in the last six The purpose of this study is to investigate the decades of Iran" (Sojudi and Tabatabai Yazdi, element of woman in terms of meaning and 2015), and "Representation of women in the content in Iranian paintings and also to identify works of contemporary Iranian women the causes and factors of changes and painters - emphasizing the sexual view on developments in the social and cultural status woman (Shariati Mazinani and Sadeghi, 2011), of women in order to identify their true place "The evolution of social and cultural in historical epochs. The questions we are conditions of women in the Safavid and Qajar looking for are: epochs" (Dehghani, Dadvar and Davoodi, 1. The female element in terms of meaning 2015) "Top examples in Iranian painting - and content in Iranian paintings has been coffee house painting" (Musos Khameneh, reflected and represented changes and 2009), that none of them has examined the perceptions of its contemporary society in element of woman in terms of meaning and different historical epochs? content in Iranian paintings, and they don't 2.What are the causes and factors of changes identify the causes and factors of its changes in the appearance, position and perception of that have been studied in this treatise. society of women's personality in Iranian paintings in the Safavid and Qajar epochs and Representation what effects has the relationship with the West The concept of "representation" is one of the and the modern world had on it? key concepts in the study of all types of works From the published articles in this field, we can of art. According to the representational mention these cases: The Struggle of Qajar approach, objects, people, events, and Women: Individuality, the World of Tradition phenomena must be represented in order to and Its Transition ”(Torabi Farsani, 2009),“ A become reality, and this is possible through Study of the Role of Women in Qajar their entry into language. In this regard, as Photography ”(Tayi, 2008),“ A Look at the Stuart Hall (1997) explains, language does not Everyday Life of the Iranian People in the Late mean English, Chinese, and the like, but Qajar Epoch ”(Mahdavi and language in the sense of its community; That AhmadzadehNodijeh, 2013), "Study of the is, body language, written language, spoken social status of women and children in the language, image language, music language or epoch of Shah Tahmaseb Safavid based on the number language. In this way we give adaptation of drawings of meaning to things by the way we represent Tahmasebi and Jami's Haft Orang..." them, by the words we use for them, the stories

92 we tell about them, the images we create of • Structural theories them, the emotions we attribute to them, the Accordingly, Hall mentions the three concepts, classification methods we use for them; By objects, and signs within the system of doing so, we conceptualize them or assign language, and believes that a set of processes values to them. relate these three senses to each other. Hall Today, the concept of representation has a calls this process "representation" and, based prominent place in cultural studies. on such an idea, believes that meaning is the Representation connects meaning and substructure of representational systems. language. Representation is usually defined as According to this view, representation is a meaningfulness through the use of signs and central act that produces the culture and is a concepts and the use of one thing instead of key step in the culture cycle. Hall argues that another with the aim of conveying meaning reality does not exist in a meaningful way and (Milner, 2006: 333). In other words, the introduces representation as one of the key representation is the intrinsic process of ways of producing meaning that is exchanged production and the exchange of meaning and distributed among members of a culture between the components of a culture which (Mehdizadeh, 2008: 22) . requires the use of language, symbols, and Thus, the concept of "representation" is how a images to represent things. Representation, social reality is manifested and emerged. To then, is one of the cultural practices in which illustrate the relationship between these participants are in a culture that gives representation, meaning, language, and meaning to people, objects, and events . culture, Hall tries to express different The concept of representation owes much to perceptions of representation in a general the works of Stuart Hall; he mentions the three category . concepts, objects, and signs within the system 1. Reflective theory: Representation reaches of language and believes that a set of processes zero. There is what is depicted, meaning that in these three categories are interrelated (Kafi, reality is within the object, person, idea or 2016). Hall calls this process "representation" event in the real world . and, based on such an idea, believes that 2. Intentional theory: There is no reflection and meaning is made up of systems of everything is a will, the painter shows representation. In Stuart Hall's view, whatever he wants and there is no reality. representation is the use of language to 3. The theory of constructivism: According to produce meaningful points about the world; this theory, according to Hall, the media are Meaning does not exist in essence, but is made, not like a mirror that reflects what is in society and it is the result and product of a signification (reflection theory) nor does it consider media procedure. Representation is the way in which productions to be completely directional and a we make reality meaningful. Also, the product of the will; rather, he believes that this meanings that we create about ourselves and representation should be understood within others and the world around us, we share or social structures and attention should be paid argue with each other through representation to all the contexts and circumstances of the (Mahdizadeh, 2008: 16) Also, Hall tries to event that is represented . express different perceptions of representation Hall considers the third approach to be in a general theoretical classification to show consistent with the general and social the relationship between representation, characteristics of language. According to this meaning, language and culture. From this approach, things have no self-sufficient perspective, representation theories fall into meaning, but we construct meanings and three general categories. perform that action through systems of • Reflective theories representation of concepts and signs. • Intentional theories Constructivism does not deny the existence of

93 the material world, but believes that what Codes carries meaning is not the material world, but Codes transform signs into meaningful the language system or system that we use to systems, and within these systems, signifier express concepts, which carries meaning, and and signified are interconnected. The world is social actors are those who use the conceptual formed for each of the cultures within the system of their culture and the linguistic framework of codes that allow them to system and other systems of representation to exchange their experiences, and through this construct meaning in order to create a we can learn about existence and the social meaningful world in relation to others. world (Zamiran, 2003: 135-140) . The code as an intermediary between the Methodology creator, the text and the audience, is a system Stuart Hall, in his famous paper Encoding and of legal symbols based on cultural laws and Decoding, distinguishes between explicit and customs that allow us to reproduce, preserve implicit meanings analytically. According to and evolve culture (Fiske, 2001: 127). him, signs acquire their full ideological value Semiotics generally classify codes into at the level of implicit meanings and are able different categories according to specific to correlate with discourses at the level of criteria. In the cultural studies approach, the broader ideological meanings. In fact, the codes are classified as follows: implicit meanings of the sign associatively 1. Social codes: society is a system of social represent ideological values (Hall, 2003: 344) . relations and the presence of human beings in Fiske also considers Hall's analytical this system, always and in advance is distinction from explicit and implicit meanings associated with covenants, , identities, and believes that it clearly and explicitly group symbols, customs, fashions, games,… implies intention. In fact, the study of the and since the processes of social relations and implicit meanings of the signs in the its rules are rooted in history and the collective stereotypes and strategies used in the image unconscious, social codes have strong coding system leads us to understand that the implication (Giro, 2002: 126). so social codes text and the discovery of ideological can be divided into the following codes: orientations used in representation are A) Verbal language (syntactic, lexical, semiotic, but John Fiske believes that to test metalanguage) research hypotheses and achieve generalized B) Limb codes (physical contact, appearance, results, various empirical research methods facial expressions, body postures, head such as content analysis and semantic movements, gestures ...) differentiation analysis should be used . C) Commodity-based codes (fashion, clothing, Therefore, in the present study which is a technology) descriptive-analytical research, D) Behavioral codes (ceremonies, games, methodological approach of Fiske semiotics feasts, role playing) (Zamiran, 2003: 136) and the views and theories of Stuart Hall 2. Text or representation codes: representation is used and we examine the Representation codes, which Giro refers to as Safavid and Qajar epochs in a qualitative aesthetic codes, are less socialized and more content analysis and visual reading and textual likely to convey the creative power of the and pictorial data that is obtained by using the sender. They are images of reality that are documentary method and referring to books vague and unstable. These codes are tools for and articles during the process of historical understanding indescribable and irrational epochs and in a specific time range. invisible things and human desires that can be divided into the following categories : A) Technical codes (including video codes) B) Art codes (in poetry, music, etc.)

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C) Stylistic, erroneous and rhetorical codes second stage is the selection of the images that such as narration carry the most ideological burden and the third D) Logic codes, which themselves include stage is the semiotic analysis of the selected three categories of scientific codes - symbolic images to explain the ideologies hidden in the and metalanguage. (Language alternatives of text. In fact, the purpose of text analysis is to language narrators, educational systems, reach the final stage. According to Fiske, epistemology, symbols, mathematics, etc.) however, the analyst must always move (Giro, 2003: 96-98) . between the various levels of analysis, which 3. Interpretive or ideological codes: will be referred to in the following, in order to Ideological codes organize other codes in such finally find and correctly explain the a way that a set of consistent and coherent ideologies hidden in the text. According to meanings is created, and these meanings also Fiske, each image of the work must be form the normal consciousness of society. analyzed at three levels, each with its own type Ideological codes are directly related to the of codes. The first level, which is the level of influence of power in setting and classifying reality, has social codes; The second level, other codes. The function of ideological codes which is the level of representation, has is naturalization and myth-making of the technical codes and the third level, which is the contractual codes and dominating rules (Fiske, level of ideology, has ideological codes 2001: 129-130). (Rawdrad, 2012: 110) . Ideological codes are the product of power- Based on Fiske's view, reality is pre-encoded; based coding and, in the context of domination, Or, to be more precise, it is only through the guide socio-cultural practices of the people. codes of our culture that we can comprehend Ideological or interpretive codes are the reality. There may be objective and empirical following: reality. But there is no universal or objective A) Perceptual codes (visual perception) way to perceive and understand it. In any B) Ideological codes (patriarchy, racism, culture, what is considered reality is the individualism ...) (Zamiran, 2003: 162) . product of the codes of that culture . Therefore, if any message, communication and Therefore, reality is always pre-encoded and rule has a code, coding is a characteristic of any there is no pure reality, and in the display of human experience. Semiotics call the process this encoded reality, the technical codes and of creating and interpreting text, encoding and customs of TV representation affect it so that decoding, respectively. Criticizing one-way the program is firstly technically broadcastable communication theories that ignore the role of and secondly has a suitable cultural text for the human element, Stuart Hall emphasizes the viewers (Fiske, 2001: 129). politicization, reciprocity, and creativity of the In Fiske method, social codes refer to the real producer and consumer of coding and elements of social life such as clothes, decoding models. He sees the flow of appearance, movements, colors, etc., which communication as a flow within the have different implication, so that because of institutions and discourses of power . the codes that in a society throughout history are loaded, giving a symbolic character to the Critical semiotics of John Fiske social world. In other words, reality is always Fiske believes that cultural texts at the level of encoded and there is no "pure reality". implicit meaning, are full of ideological codes Therefore, when these social codes are due to and each of them seek a specific perspective on technical codes, such as narration, time and the world and try to make it look natural (Fiske, place ... that make it possible to create a visual- 2001: 136). John Fiske's critical semiotics is audio text. It is through these codes that the based on three stages. The first step is to audio-visual text is actualized and expresses provide a general description of the text; The their ideological codes; Ideological codes such

95 as individualism, patriarchy, racism, The mythical image of a woman in the materialism, capitalism, etc., which seek to history of Iran (six thousand years BC to the make the historical phenomenon natural and Islamic period) and its impact on works of eternal. According to Fiske, ideology is more art effective than what Marx credited to it, One of the events in defining the position of because it works more from inside, not from women in the first Iranian society was her outside - ideology is deeply embedded in the definition as a myth. "Myth should be ways of thinking and life of all classes (Fiske, considered as an attitude that combines the 2007: 253). It is this ideology that seems expression of human thought with imagination "natural" and "normal" in the work of and has imposed itself on human life distributing power in society (ibid .: 150). throughout history, and we must accept that myth is a set of cultures such as customs, Sampling traditions, works and behaviors that has a The statistical population of the research spiritual, artistic, historical, literary and according to its subject is all works of art, religious presentation. Myth has settled in the paintings and drawings that include the collective human subconscious and has Safavid and Qajar epochs in terms of time manifested itself in works of art from literature span. In research sampling, we use purposeful to visual arts ”(Moin, 2002). sampling techniques in qualitative methods, in In ancient Iran, the first independent sculpture other words, the concept of purposeful was made of small specimens of mud of sampling is used in qualitative research and it pregnant women and animals, which was a means that the researcher selects people and reflection of the achievements of the two places to study that can be effective in fundamental beliefs of worship of fertility and understanding the research problem and the nature; they were symbols of the mother central phenomenon of the study, which are the goddess or lord of fertility from semi-natural selection of specific units based on specific sculptures with very large breasts, abdomen, objectives related to answering specific and hips, have reached the stages of elegance research questions. We selected the sampling and complete abstraction (picture 1) . according to Fiske's critical semiotics from The existence of these works in the whole images that had social, technical, and society, on the one hand, is a sign of the social ideological codes. The social codes discussed and special place of women in these primitive from the image of women are examined societies, and on the other hand, it indicates the according to the social status and classes of superiority of human beings from the cosmic society, the type of women's activities in and mythical position of the female force in the society by looking at the painting atmosphere. universe. Also, the natural similarities between Also, the technical codes of the painting, which the life-giving force of woman and the earth include the composition of the elements of caused these two forces to be considered as drawing patterns and the clothing and jewelry one, and woman became a symbol of the great decorations, are shown separately in each of mother, meaning the mother of the whole the images, and then we will examine the codes universe, whose extract and source of life flow of ideology such as physical characteristics in her breasts. This mythical power can be seen and beauty of statues and behavior of figures, in all primitive societies at the beginning of the type of body covering and the extent of agricultural era, and especially in the statues of showing off and changing attitudes and beliefs the mother goddess and motifs derived from towards hijab in this category. this thought in the works left from that epoch (Zabolinejad, 2009). In the Temple of the Gods or Ziggurat of Choghaznabil, near Susa, the mother goddess was worshiped in the third

96 millennium BC. At the end of the same her the goddess of water, the mother goddess millennium, in the temple of Inshushing, there and the goddess of fertility. Many sculptures was a statue of a great goddess called and motifs of this lady have been left which "Ninursang" or the Lady of the Mountain. tells of her worship in temples (picture 2) . Iranians in the first millennium BC worshiped the goddess Anahita and considered

Picture 1: Goddess of Fertility (known as Venus Sarab), 6th millennium BC, Museum of Ancient Iran, Source: Author

Picture 2 : A statue of Anahita, the goddess of water, the goddess of motherhood and fertility, source: https://parsiandej.ir/

Ideal women (Islam enters Iran) as well as traditional and cultural One of the basic features of images of restrictions. women before Islam and especially in the The women in these paintings are either Islamic epoch is their ideal face. In ancient hidden mistress that without knowing the times, the ideal face of women could be content of the text of the book and the story seen in the goddess Anahita. In the Islamic in which the painting is depicted, are not epoch, Iranian painting is very much reflected from the self-portrait to the viewer influenced by factors such as religion, alone, or are servants of the royal feast due mysticism, the tastes of the patrons, who to political precaution with a kind of veil are before the Safavid epoch, the most shown in a contractual and consensual important of them were sultans and courts, manner. The women illustrated in the paintings are not much different from the

97 people in terms of appearance, the faces and the book are alive and have real human life bodies are in a cryptic and silent state. and characteristics, as seen in (Figure 3), While the characters and behavioral and the image of women in the Islamic epoch physical characteristics and mental states of goes towards the visual contract . women in the text of the poem or story of

Picture 3 : Khosrow is going hunting and seeing Shirin and sending him to his seraglio(harem), Nezami Ganjavi, Source: http://wikipedia.org/wiki/persian-miniature

The image of a woman in Safavid epoch look at the body of a woman lying by the paintings (9th century AH) pool, and a woman applauding or the The Safavid era has been one of the most women in the pool. These are no longer the brilliant eras in the art of painting, in which women sitting behind curtain of the we see the emergence of great artists who previous works, but they have entered the have played a significant role in the real world and we even see that the women development of Iranian painting. The are drawn naked in the pool. Although, changes that we are witnessing in this era women in Behzad's works are depicted in can be seen in the works of Iranian painters, everyday life situations, and these paintings namely Kamaluddin Behzad and Reza still have a spiritual color and smell, and the Abbasi. image of women as a result of the According to Behzad, a female body is not continuation of the previous style is the only a decorative form but also a sign of same as the Mongolian image with almond human status and other creatures and eyes and arched eyebrows, although elements have been created to evolve her. women are naked, but this nudity is free of In his works, it is the female form that gives any stimulant effect and the limbs are life to other elements of the image and "how drawn in such a way that they are not women's faces go beyond purely decorative different from the male limbs and there is and role-playing aspects and acquires value no sign of shamelessness in these small per se and full of realistic themes figure(Azhand, 2008:405). ”(Rahimova, 2002: 120). In (picture 4),

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Picture 4: looking of Bahram Gour at women's swimming, Khamseh Nezami 900 AH, attributed to Behzad, , London (Azhand, 2008: 405)

In Reza Abbasi's works, women have a "person" can be chosen for women in Reza different state. The place of presenting the Abbasi's works "(Rahnavard, 2004 .( image of a woman in Reza Abbasi's works In Reza Abbasi's works, there are young is either in the collection of or in women who are present in palaces or alleys the context of book arranging stories and and bazaars. In terms of external poems such as Khamseh Nezami and the decorations around it without a cape and to like. Reza Abbasi portrays women in a some extent transparent and their headband different and bold way, with an independent is so briefly and sometimes with hair and reckless personality. His works are full without cover, and the way of sitting is of iconoclasts. "Women are independent in special and different from the image of the muraqqa; They are not portrayed in the women in other paintings and they are context of stories and are not influenced by rarely naked or with vulgarity. They are the traditions of painting, nor are they often engaged in decorative work, such as related to the glorious moral and cultural looking in the mirror (picture 5); Either values. The image of these women is the they are engaged in fringe and fribble image of reckless, bold and independent movements, or lyrical and poetic, such as women who impose themselves not as donating flowers or a glass of wine; or they judges but as models to the viewer and the are counting aimlessly with their fingers, or audience and influence their tastes with with a bag of money in their hands, or they their presence and create new tastes as used are arranging their coquettish clothes and feminist terms to explain the personality of Chadors, and in each state, they are very these women. In other words, the terms dependent to their gender, as if they are the "second sex" and "other" can be used for only heroes of the scene and not spectators dignified women or dancers and servants, of scenes and events (Vali Yari Eskandari, and "the first sex", "independent" and 2010: 76).

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Picture 5 women holding a mirror, Reza Abbasi, (Javani, 2006: 45)

As we can see, the painter puts the woman painting and even found an independent in the center of the image and pays attention and unique presence in monographs . only to the main theme and completely After the Safavid dynasty, a coherent style avoids using sub-visual themes. The empty and a formant school emerged in Iranian space in this work allows the viewer to find painting. Due to the thematic and practical more connection with the main subject and features of the paintings, the title "court not to be confused, while "in the tradition of iconography" was considered appropriate Iranian painting before the school, for this school. This style remained more or there was no empty space in the image and less until the beginning of Nasereddin the audience see different and lively themes Shah's reign. in each work, several subjects were placed The human form in the painting of the Qajar next to the main subject and the visual value epoch completely lost its main place, which of all of them seemed to be the same relied on the teachings of Iranian mysticism ”(Shad, 2006: 24_28). But the image also in previous epochs, and was reduced to a has no subject and only a woman is depicted mere visual-decorative element in the who has no longer that spiritual states of the service of the apparent representation of the previous images. The vertical frame is also model. As a result, that ideal example of drawn according to the female form . human form became a special human being and this world. It also has many Humanism disproportions in the display of limbs. The One of the most basic elements of Iranian artist sought to satisfy the sense of painting, both structurally and in terms of individuality and discernment of the client, content, is the human form. This form in the especially the king himself, by depicting history of Iranian painting, after the such a human figure with awe and a independence of this art from copy design gorgeous image, and to show the personal and its transformation into an independent characteristics of those who ordered their art with new aesthetic rules, as a pivotal statue. element overshadowed other elements of

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Monograph suspended between existence and non- Apparently, from the time when design and existence, and human truth in this school painting were separated from the issue of enters the paintings in different form of the book decoration and came into being in the previous schools, which was due to the form of muraqqas and single leaves, fundamental change in the culture and paintings became popular that no longer thought and the way of artists' and their serve to express and depict a specific story, supporters' view.(Vali Yari Eskandari, poem or literary them, but rather the 2010: 79) In this type of paintings, often a aesthetic aspect of its bodies is important. body or a young couple in addition to a few Portraiture, single-face painting of women, plants and a twisting cloud are represented youth, and lovers became more common to simple lands and placed in muraqqas. than stage-making. In the school of Isfahan, (Shad Qazvini, 2015: 19) Drawing animals woman is no longer a mythical creature and such as dogs, rabbits and parrots symbolize they enter the realm of daily life like a the entry of Western culture in the works living creature. Although an aura of (picture 6) . idealism still surrounds her, she is less

Picture 6: women looking at a dog, 1640 AD, London,Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/persian-miniature

The image of a woman in Qajar epoch know the Eastern world, a kind of traditional paintings and modern duality appeared in many social, Much of Qajar painting is to depict women; As cultural and artistic relations of society. This Qajar painting in a general sense has a kind of trend also affected the status of women and feminine effect that the reasons can be listed as their presence in the social arena. The visual follows: the existence of a harem in large arts of the Qajar epoch, which had a feminine dimensions, polygamy of Qajar kings' wife, appearance due to the multiplicity of images of women's involvement in government and state women, were not excluded from the effects of craft. (Tafazoli, 1999: 118) Such images in confrontation with the West in line with social terms of subject, characteristics and method of and artistic developments and based on the performance are presented in parallel with aesthetic criteria of their time. Following the social events, artistic approaches and acquaintance with Western art, the change of influenced by the tastes of the clients. During court tastes, the gradual distancing of art from the Qajar epoch, due to the confrontation with the court space and the spread of folk art, the the West, the desire to experience the modern image of a woman changed from an ideal, world and the desire of the Western world to imaginary and limited image of the court to an

101 objective, realistic image in relation to angles, we can understand the ideal concept of everyday life(Hatam and Hatampour Ghiasi, women of this epoch and the new way of 2009). representing them in images. The faces of Painting curtains with the theme of women Qajar women have taken on an ideal state musicians in the epoch of Fath Ali Shah, have under the influence of literary works. These always been a popular subject for decorating faces are very different from the proportions of royal palaces. These images were installed in real world faces. They worship virtuosos, the halls of out-of-town homes, which were literati and beauticians because they saw in the intended for private and formal parties and beauty of their faces the effect and sign of the celebrations. The clients of such subjects were beauty of God's creation. This way of looking mostly merchants and people affiliated with outside through painting and the audience the Qajar court. Women musicians are mostly expresses a kind of intercultural influence that depicted in oil on canvas, along with local daf, has penetrated into Iranian art along with the tambourine traditional instruments such as the Western humanistic worldview. A direct look tar, tonbak, and fiddle. In these curtains, at the audience creates a kind of dialogue and women have appeared in luxurious and special two-way communication and in other words, a costumes that are decorated with all kinds of discourse between the work of art and the jewelry and embroidered pearls. (Jafari, 2003: audience, puts the audience in more contrast 38). (picture 7) as one of the selected works of with the work (Yousefian and Javani, 2011). It the epoch of Fath Ali Shah in the Qajar epoch can be said that the first sign which attracts on the subject of women musicians is attention in the face or in the whole painting, reminiscent of the characteristics of the Qajar the woman's eyes that are fixed on the school. By examining the work from different audience .

Picture 7 : young woman playing tar, by Abolghasem 1231 AH-1816 AD (a collection of paintings of Iran in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries AH 1351)

Other works that are considered in the that it has turned into a completely monographs of women of this epoch are decorative work. The role of the idol on the their decorative nature. In the studied dress and crown of another woman was one image, the volume of decorations is so large of the most widely used Qajar painting

102 designs. The application of this pattern can The Baghdad fortune teller (picture 8) by be seen on women's clothing, background Kamal al-Mulk is one of his most famous and crown. In addition to Qajar kings, Qajar works performed during his trip to women also had a great desire to use Baghdad. Ordinary subjects and their free ornaments and jewelry. They were also expression in life are the prominent features used for beauty and to draw attention of his work in this epoch. "The presence of towards their social class. women and their liberation from the hard The wine painted in the picture is also shackles and rules of the past is also symbolic. "The journey to the land of interesting in this work." A girl and her Persian poetry, literature and art is an mother came to a Jew in Baghdad to find intoxicating journey. Wine cups and out their fortune. The fortune teller and his refreshments and crystal clear glass jugs are friend are sitting on a kilim in their room inseparable elements of Iranian culture. and sharing a box. The fortuneteller's hand Qajar women are often accompanied by is inside the horoscope book and is busy fetishistic objects such as; Fruits like explaining the girl's fortune with a smile. apples and pomegranates. Female organs in The girl, who is also a little decorated, Persian masculine poetry and prose are raises her hair with a taffeta chador and puts often compared to various fruits, such as her two hands on her knees and smiles when peaches for the lips and apples and she hears her good omen. On one side of the pomegranates for the breasts. Perhaps the fortune teller's room is a hookah and a most common of them are still used in wooden chair, and on the other side is a Persian poetry and everyday speech is apple fortune teller's bed that he is leaning on as a symbol of femininity in the images of ”(Bagherzadeh, 1997: 19). Qajar women (Diba, 1999;209).

Figure 8: Baghdadi fortune teller (Jewish), by Mohammad Ghaffari (Kamal al- Mulk), 1322 AH, oil paint, Museum of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, (Khansari, 1989: 292)

This painting testifies to a social and flows. The lighting in this work is realistic view and is in fact the culmination embedded and real and is close to the of Kamal al-Mulk's work and brings him characters and helps to show the prosperous closer to realism. In this work, the life characteristics of the life of mother and

103 daughter and the humor and vivacity of the reflection of light, the nature and fortune teller and his colleague. The books personality of people has revealed in on the right of the painting and the book in completely natural faces and stature, a the hand of fortuneteller, the fabrics, feature not found in the previously studied especially the wrinkles of the old man's works. cloak and clothes, seem to be beautiful and The portrait of Taj al-Saltaneh (picture 9) is convey the realistic meaning of these another work of the Qajar epoch that has objects. The old man's hands and face are been selected here due to the importance of carefully and powerfully implemented in female individuality and her realistic the light shadow design. The characters are expression. This oval painting of the Qajar well known and have a logical relationship princess is an example of the image of an with each other. Light and black surfaces enlightened woman in the Iranian court in the image create eye movement. The who was a wise and active woman in socio- eyes and hands are in a position and political affairs. She sits in front of a plant, selected to convey meanings. In this work, holding a tightly wrapped package , her the painter is immersed in the nature of hand is on a table in front of a bunch of nature and the depth of substance and freshly arranged flowers. She is wearing a matter, and draws out its inner poetry and Victorian dress with blue velvet passion, and with the language of line and embroidered with black velvet. color, in the play of light shadows and the

picture 9: Portrait of the Taj Al-Saltaneh, 1910 AD, Unknown Artist, Oil Painting, (Diba, 1999:272)

Her straightforward, serious, and somewhat different the women painted in this epoch harsh demeanor and direct look give her a are from the ideal women of the previous sense of confidence. The comparison of this epochs . portrait shows the changes that have taken In this picture, first of all, the identity of the place under the influence of the person is quite clear and indicates her Constitutional Revolution. This picture special personality. Secondly, its shows how almost all the traditions were spatialization is represented according to changed during the Qajar epoch and how renaissance attitude in a raw manner, which

104 is also based on the geometric of The influence of symbols of Western perspective. Also, the use of its decorations, culture in the images of Iranian women especially on clothes, is limited to circles One of the factors that influenced the faces that sometimes become large and of women in the paintings of the Safavid sometimes small, and there is no sign of epoch was the prevalence of special and unique decorations of Iranian Westernization. Westernization in Iran was painting. The shape of the figure and the common more than two hundred years from direction of her look also evoke a late seventeenth century and 11th AH until momentary and instantaneous feeling in the early twentieth century/14th AD front of a camera that tries to capture a (Pakbaz, 1999: 71 & 359). The arrival of certain moment. (Ebrahimi Naghani, 2007) European and European art to Iran, their The whole appearance and show up of presence, especially in the trade of people from the front during this epoch was European paintings and printed images, influenced by the technique of photography aroused the opinion of some Iranian and journalistic photographs of printed painters to include European motifs in images and imported products of the West. Iranian paintings (Azhand, 2006: 199) Exhaustive and exaggerated details to show Here, by comparing some Iranian paintings the mental and personal states are also the that have changed during this epoch under effects of such a tendency. The high the influence of Western painting methods, mastery, perfect quality of the painting and we will discuss how to combine traditional the presence of the background in the Iranian painting methods with European portrait of the woman as a special person painting methods. also show that the painter took the image The image of a lady next to a fountain from the photo (Diba, 1999:272). (picture 10), which is now preserved in the However, Taj Al-Saltaneh is displayed Edwin Bini collection, was painted by without hijab. But one can see the beads of Aligoli Jabbardar around 1805 AH. The the rosary around her wrist, which is a shape of the scenes and the color of this symbol of religious piety. Such a duality scene are influenced by the paintings of the reflects the ambivalence of women and seventeenth century / eleventh AD Iran on Iran's ambiguous relationship with the West Aligoli Jabbardar. With Carefully looking at a time that show their hesitant to follow at this picture and also part of the picture of the rules of conduct and religious ethics and the birth of Christ (picture 11) by Francesco the motivation to embrace modern Western Di Giorgio Martini, we find many methods. The high level of mastery, the similarities: Clothing form, posture and perfect quality of the painting and the movement of the body, especially the presence of the background in the portrait position of the legs, dealing with the folds of the woman as a single person make it and showing the body volume, the painter's possible for the painter to have taken the attention to anatomy, shading, face image from the photo. In comparison with painting, space creation, scene arrangement the images of Qajar women in the early and coherent composition, attention to epoch and after the Constitutional perspective and minimalization to the Revolution, we see that following the elements of the foreground, all of which increase of women's social role, the way of show the extent of European influence on showing them has also changed (Diba, the work of the cultural artist. The Iranian 1999:272) painter has shown his adherence to traditional painting partially only by placing water containers next to the pond and the shape of the rocks. Because in

105 drawing the volume of dishes in the desired creation of the two works, it is clear to what angle, it has not been done in a scientific- extent the Iranian painters of the time of perspective way, but the body has a soft Shah Abbas have considered the works of shape and movements like European Europe in the past and have been fascinated painting. According to the history of the by its dimensional representation.

Picture 10: a lady next to the water fountain, Isfahan, 107 AH, Aligholi Jabbardar, Arthur Skeller Gallery, Smith sonian Institution, Washington (Azhand, 2006: 254)

picture 11: Birth of Christ, Francesco Di Giorgio Martini, 1486, Dominico http://arthistoryesources.net

The monograph (picture 12) is also a garment is made of Isfahan silk fabrics in product of the Isfahan school. This lady's the 11th century AH, full of Islamic flowers

106 and plants inspired by the arrangements and the European work of Queen Charlotte decorations of this epoch. Her scarf is (picture 13), we encounter similar noticeable, tied with a green ribbon and a characteristics in terms of how to combine bunch of her hair hanging from the scarf. the elements of the painting, shading and The lady has decorated with a vase full of accuracy in drawing patterns and red flowers with a suitable array . On the decorations on clothes, showing body right, a half-watermelon with a knife dipped volume, landscaping and creating space: in it can be seen on the table, and next to the placing the body in a three-faced position watermelon, there is a wine bottle with next to the window and table, paying Saghar. In the outer scene, a groove of attention to the index square in dividing the creek water and the greenery along it are frame and also showing curtains and its carved with a lush tree and the blue sky is folds, paying attention to the exponential full of white and gray clouds. There is a red depth in drawing distant landscapes that are velvet on the table. The jacket on the body probably imitated from the Venice school , of the figure, like the fabric of her pants, the paving lines of the floor and the contains repetitive patterns of flowers and lighting, the look on the face of the woman leaves. The nails of the body are painted red towards the audience are all similar to the lacquer and have a necklace on her neck European work. The Safavid painter is still which in the middle of it, a Yemeni agate is holding his arched eyebrows, bud lips and embedded. It is clear that the statue was small and delicate nose. In addition, the standing on a balcony and the light shone decorative characteristics of the work and from the left and placed the statue and the the way of paying for the clothes, legs, face table in a light shade (Azhand, 2006: 252) . and hands of the figure show the Iranian In Comparison of the painting "A Foreign painter's loyalty to the Iranian painting Lady in Persian Clothes" (picture 12) with traditions (Shad Qazvini, 2006: 24-28)

Picture 12 : A Foreign lady in Iranian clothes, Isfahan school 1060-1090 AH, oil on canvas, Tehran Saadatabad Palace (Azhand, 2006: 264)

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picture 13: Monograph of Queen Charlotte, Nathaniel Dance, between the 13th and 18th centuries. Source: http://arthistoryresources.net

As it has been said, in these works, little by reflected in Iranian painting (Vali Yari little, there are signs of women in real Eskandari, 2010: 162) . realities that the evolution of this method can Factors influencing the process of these be seen in the Safavid epoch. The main changes can be considered as follows: the feature of this epoch is the painter's artistic beginning of the relationship with European independence, painter's tendency towards culture, artists' travel to Europe and realism and diminishing the influence of acquaintance with the works of Renaissance religious views and Chinese style and the painters, the arrival of paintings and buttocks heritage of ancient painting. The coming to by some Western artists by merchants and power of the Safavid government, Iran's changing artistic tastes of society, The relations with European countries, economic withdrawal of art from the possession of prosperity, expansion of foreign trade and court and the emergence of new patrons and reaching the European Renaissance waves customers from among the non-courtly through this way to Iran, the support of wealthy and the emergence of influential Safavid kings, who also had a strong religious artists have led to the influence of realism on position, of painting and their desire to images, albeit slowly. (Shad Qazvini, 2006: foreign painting and the change in the 24-28) . foundations of the philosophy of art and its forms, frames and techniques, transformed Conclusion Iranian painting from decorative drawings of Iranian painting has undergone many textbooks into independent and somewhat changes during different historical epochs. realistic art, made a woman's face with These developments are due to factors such recognizable physical characteristics of a as social, political, cultural, religious and the Iranian woman along with a display of her tastes of kings in relation to the Far East and moods and behaviors that indicated the the West. By studying Iranian paintings in difference between her personality with men order to find meanings and a relative

108 understanding of women as a visual element 5. Ayatollahi, Habibullah. 2003. An in terms of its meaning and content, the Introduction to the Basics of Visual Arts sociological and cultural characteristics of Theories, Vol. III, Tehran: Samt. each epoch of history were identified. The 6. Ebrahimi Naghani, Hossein. 2003. Safavid and Qajar epochs are one of the most Manifestation of Man in Behzad Miniature, important socio-political as well as cultural- Book of the Month of Art. artistic epochs of Iran. The painting of this 7. Ebrahimi Naghani, Hossein. 2007. epoch has undergone changes due to its The manifestation of human form in Qajar connection with the West, the modern world Epoch painting, Golestan Honar, No.9 . and the influence of European art, which has 8. Estory, John. 2007. Cultural Studies led to the presentation of a different image of on Popular Culture, Hossein Payandeh, woman in appearance and her place in the Tehran: Agah Publishing. works of art of this epoch. This descriptive- 9. Ismailpour, Abolghasem. 2008. analytical study, which with the approach of Manifestation of myth in Shahnameh . Fiske semiotics and according to the views 10. Ismailpour, Abolghasem. 1999. "The and theories of Stuart Hall's representation, Social Role of Women in Ancient and Middle uses a qualitative content analysis and visual Iran", Iran Shenakht Magazine, No.13 . reading and textual- visual data, the female 11. Andrew, Milner. 2006. An element in terms of meaning and content in Introduction to Contemporary Cultural Iranian paintings reflection of social, Theory, Jamal Mohammadi, Tehran: Qoqnus . political, religious, cultural status and real 12. Baqerzadeh, Hamid. 1997. Kamal- position of women in the areas of society in ol-Molk, the artist who is always alive, historical epochs . Second edition, Tehran: Ashkan, Hirmand . As a suggestion for researchers, it can be said 13. Bennett, Andy. 2007. Culture and that images of Qajar women can be a rich daily life, Leila Joafshani and Hassan source for understanding the changes in Chavoshian, Tehran: Akhtaran . thinking about gender and identity in this 14. Pakbaz, Rubin. 1998. Encyclopedia epoch, the intellectual transformation of of Art, Vol. I, Tehran: Farhange Moaser . society around social and cultural beliefs and 15. Pakbaz, Rubin. 2010. Iranian new cultural adaptations, which in research in painting from ancient times until today, this field will help to know more about these Tehran: Zarrin and Simin. images. 16. Pakbaz, Rubin. 2011. Iranian Painting from ancient times until today, Vol. Refrences 8, Tehran: Zarrin and Simin. 17. Pope, Arthur. 1965. Masterpieces of 1. Apolyakova, Z.Y. Rahimova. 2002. Iranian Art, Tehran: Safi Alisha. Iranian Painting and Literature, Translator: 18. Pope, Arthur. 1991. Introduction to Zohreh Feizi, Rozaneh . Iranian Miniature, Hossein Nayer, Tehran: 2. Azhand, Jacob. 2006. Isfahan School Bahar . of Painting, Tehran: Ministry of Culture and 19. Taj Al-Saltaneh. 2000. Memoirs of Islamic Guidance, Academy of Arts. Taj Al-Saltaneh, by Massoud Erfanian, 3. Azhand, Jacob. 2007. "Painters of Tehran: History of Iran . the Qajar epoch", Golestan Honar, No. 9 . 20. Tafazoli, Abolghasem; Motazed, 4. Azhand, Jacob. 2010. Iranian Khosrow. 2000. From Forough Al-Satna to Painting (Research in the History of Iranian Anis Al-Dawlah Women of Nasser al-Din Painting and Miniature), Volume 1, Tehran: Shah Harem, Tehran: Golriz. Samt.

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21. Chandler, Daniel. 2008. 34. Connell, Ernst. 1968. , Fundamentals of Semiotics, Mehdi Parsa, Engineer Taheri, Tehran: Mashal Azadi . Tehran: Institute of Islamic Culture and Art . 35. Giro, Pierre. 2003. Encoding and 22. Hatam, Gholam Ali; Hatampour Decoding, Cultural Studies (Collection of Ghiasi, Zahra. 2010. Woman in Visual Arts Articles) Edited by Simon Dioring, Shahriar of Qajar Epoch, Two Specialized Quarterly Waqfipour et al., Tehran: Ney . of Naghsh-e Mayeh Visual Arts, Second 36. Giro, Pierre. 2013. Semiotics, Year, N.3 . Mohammad Nabavi, Tehran: Agah . 23. Dehkhoda, Ali Akbar. 2010. 37. Moin, Zahra. 2002. Lady of the Gods Dehkhoda Dictionary, Majles Printing and Lady of Myths, Book of the Month of Art. House, Tehran: Bita. 38. Malekzadeh, Malakeh (Bayani). 24. Rawdrad, Azam. 2004. Sociological 1984. History of Mehr in Iran from the fourth Theories of Art and Literature, Tehran: millennium to the first millennium BC, Vol. University of Tehran . 1, Tehran, Yazdan . 25. Rawdrad, Azam. 2013. Sociology of 39. Naderi, Somayeh. 2011. The Place Cinema and Iranian Cinema, Tehran: of the of Jaqeh in the decorations of the University of Tehran . crown of the Qajar kings (Jaqah), Book of 26. Rahnavard, Zahra. 2007. Painting: the Month of Art, p.162 . History of Iranian Art in the Islamic Epoch, 40. Vali Yari Eskandari, Zohreh. 2011. Tehran: Position. Investigating the position and form of the 27. Zaboli Nejad, Hoda. 2000. female element in traditional Iranian Investigation of original Qajar motifs, N.78. painting (from Herat school to the beginning 28. Zaboli Nejad, Hoda. 2010. The of Qajar), Master Thesis, Tarbiat Modares statues of the mother goddess (female image University. in prehistoric works), the book of the month 41. Wollen, Peter. 2013. Signs and of art . meaning in cinema. Abdullah Tarbiat and 29. Shad Qazvini, Parisa. 2006. Bahman Taheri, Tehran: Soroush. Changing the style of painting in the epoch of 42. Yousefian, Maryam; Javani, Asghar Shah Abbas I: Decline or Innovation, a . 2011. Semiotics of Power in the Portraits of collection of painting articles of the Isfahan Fath Ali Shah Qajar, Journal of Art School Conference, Volume I, Tehran: Research, First Year, Vol 1. Academy of Arts . 43. Diba, Layla, 1999, Royal Persian 30. Zamiran, Mohammad. 2003. painting, The Qajar Epoch, 1785-1925, Introduction to the Semiotics of Art, Tehran: Maryam Ekhtiar L.B. Tourist publishers in Ghesseh . association with Brooklim Musium of Art. 31. Fiske, John. 2001. TV Culture, 44. Hall, S. (1997). Cultural Mojgan Boroumand, Arghanoon Magazine, Representation and Signifying Practice. and Vol.19. London: Sage Publication. 32. Fiske, John. 2002. Culture and 45. Kenney, K.(2005). Representation Ideology, Mojgan Boroumand, Arghanoon Theory. From Handbook of Visual Magazine, Vol. 20 . Communication: Theory, Method and Media. 33. Fiske, John. 2007. An Introduction to LEA. Communication Studies, Mehdi Ghobraei, 46. Miller.T&R.Stam. (1999 ). A Tehran: Office of Media Studies and Companion to Film Theory. Blackwell Development . Publishing: Ltd.

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