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The Comparative Study of the Shahnama Lithographic Images, 1846 AD in India and 1851-53 AD in Iran

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The Comparative Study of the Shahnama Lithographic Images, 1846 AD in India and 1851-53 AD in Iran Archive of SID The Comparative Study of the Shahnama lithographic Images, 1846 AD in India and 1851-53 AD in Iran 1. Mansoureh Fadavi Secretary of Technical and Vocational in Ramsar (Ministry of Education) [email protected] Abstract Lithography entered Iran in Qajer era. As a result the art of book illustration commenced. India which had become familiar with this craft and industry before Iran and had lots of cultural and literary commonalities with Iran published the first lithographic Shahnamah by the order of an Iranian publisher. By entering this books into Iran some illustrators used it, to create their own works. One of these artists is Mirza Aliqoli Khoee, the greatest Iranian illustrators. He illustrated the first lithography Shahnamah in Iran, from 1849 to 1851. It has been affected by the first lithography Shahnamah of India in 1846. The composition of the pictures, the place of the elements and the figures and illustration of the common events are the effects of its Indian counterpart. The pictures of Iranian Shahnamahk have recently been published and studied. However, no comparative study has been taken on them. This is a descriptive-analytical study. The data and the pictures have been collected through library study. Key words: Shahnamah, book illustration, India, Mirza Aligholi Khoee www.SID.ir Archive of SID Introduction After industrial and artistic changes in Qajer era lithography as a part of this change appeared. Its physical changes as compared with the traditional ones which was originated from its technical limitation commenced with the color deletion and continued with an emphasis on visual elements. Some artists who were familiar with these techniques developed this new method in a short time. They have accomplished valuable results by scrutinizing the works of other artists and application of no-Iranian experiences and its purification with Iranian traditional book illustration techniques. This art has originated from Iranian Persian painting, European industry and painting, developed beside them and taken the present day forms on the one hand. On the other hand the arrival of press industry from India to Iran resulted in getting influences from Indian works. Therefore by supposing that Iranian illustration has developed under the influence its Indian counterpart the present study is seeking to find if there are any similarities and difference between the pictures of the first Iranian lithography Shahnamah (1851) and Indian lithography Shahnamah (1846) and if yes, what they are. To find the answer the first Iranian lithography Shahnamah (1851) and Indian lithography Shahnamah (1846), lithography in Qajer era, its changes and its development have been studied. The study has been done descriptively and analytically. To do the comparison and analysis five pictures have been selected from each one. Other pictures are cited in the appendixes. Research Methodology The research method in historical issues was analytical- historical and to study kinds of paradigms and versions it was descriptive-analytical one. Book Illustration in Qajer Era Persian painting in Islamic Era over several centuries has being practiced for manuscripts in the framework of various schools in kings’ and princes’ courts. The changes that have occurred in Qajer era in this field have been due to its international relations with western countries. Industrial development paved the way for printing press industry and photography to come to Iran. Printing press industry through rapid printing and cost reduction relative to the former manuscripts and photography by the creation real-like pictures and familiarity with European art have created new tendencies and tastes in the art of Qajer era. Qajer painting which was itself the continuation of safavid and Zandian painting changed remarkably. Many have criticized it and regarded it as distortion in Persian painting. If looked fairly after having being practiced in various schools over several centuries this art has been the scene of the clash of the various elements and factors from different Iranian and non- Iranian www.SID.ir Archive of SID cultures. China and Mesopotamia are of the influencing cultures. In this period the influencing factors have just been transferred from east to the West and the painting of this period has received the most effect from industrial revolution and changes and European paintings. Consequently Qajar painting sought to find anatomical relations, perspectives, nature landscape and specific mechanism of European art. Along with these trends Indian art has remarkably influenced Qajar art. It in fact served as a bridge to transfer art and industry to Iran. India due to its close relation with UK and other European countries were influenced by European painting and cultural and commercial relations of Iran and India served as a bridge for the elements of European and Indian art to reach Iran. Being more advanced in new industries and technologies including printing press industry were another factor for this transfer. Off course these cultural transfers should be regarded as two-way. Since many Iranian book illustrators, notably those from Shiraz migrated to India after the empowerment of its printing press industry. They played a great role in its formation. The occurred changes can be observed in composition, figures arrangement, attention to reality, people’s expressions, working on details, full shot, and the like. Iranian art which have been under the influence of non-Iranian ones like Chinese art in mogul era has attempted to integrate foreign elements into ancient traditions to produce Iranian art. It has also been undertaken in Qajar era. Therefore court style of painting has been formed which has been an integration of Iranian subjectivism and western objectivism. Off course in interim we can also see the inappropriate integrations which show the unsuccessful experiences of a generation in dealing with new phenomenon; however, ultimately the traditional utopist painting changes direction to material world. Out of which an art is born that is mainly a combination Iranian miniature and European design style. In spite of strong criticism by some critics Qajar painting is in fact a new phase of the presence of non-Iranian elements in Iranian art. The trend of painting changes in Safavid era by Reza Abasi’s works and his contemporaries in Isfehan school has developed toward the preference of design and reduction of visual value of color, decoration and attention to details; However attention to decorative forms and details resumed once again in Fatalishah’s period of ruling due to the current attention to luxury and has even been prioritized over design. Along side of this type of Qajar painting another illustration tradition named lithography book illustration appeared. If we regard court painting as Persian court painting form lithography book illustration can be regarded as another form of the art of this era which was more public and common. It came into existence after printing press changes and was formed under the influence of the dominant painting tradition. Therefore it can be regarded being subjective to the limitations of printing press industry. In this period the art of printing illustration was practiced by two methods. The first is the traditional one which is the continuation of Persian painting and practiced by artists like Mirza Ali khoee. The second method can be seen in the works www.SID.ir Archive of SID of those who have been in Europe like Saniolmolk. The most important differences of the two methods are the second method artists’ tendency toward the European elements and characteristics like shading and simulation of faces. However, the lithography book illustration should be regarded as the logical trend of Persian painting which emerged out of artistic changes in Isfahan school during safavid dynasty. Simplification, reduction of color range and introduction of European elements, commercialization of art, and high demand for manuscript by the middle class are the initial constructive factors. Lithography Books Illustration Lithography was invented by a Bavarian author Alois Senefelder in 1796. (Etamadolsaltaneh 1921, 57) After 42 years, in 1853, the first printing lithography was founded in Tabriz, after Amirkaber’s reforms. Then it was founded in Tehran, Shiraz, Isfehan, Orumiyeh and Rasht. The press industry has availed people with the books which had been kept in the private libraries of the royal families and noblemen. Those who ordered the books have been more from the rich than from court. They were mainly traders and high ranking officials. Lithography has been the main form of publication in Iran up to the late Qajor era. Due to some problems like Persian alphabet arrangement lead printing attracted less attention. Stone and lead printing was different. In lead printing the images were inscribed on wooden plates, printed separately and then used in books. Nevertheless, in lithography, the images together with the text were applied to stone plates and printed. For these and other reasons like easy application of Persian script, low cost and probability of error lithography was turned out to be the main printing techniques. Lithography depends on the counter effect of water and lipid. In this method the image can be printed directly from the stone plate. The orientation of the image is reversed. Its feature is its single color. Therefore lithography uses the elements like point, line, surface and space to crate
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