Iranian Modern Art during the Pahlavi Dynasty (1925-1979) DISSERTATION to Obtain the degree of Doctor of Art History at the Institute of Art History, University of Regensburg 2021 Presented by Solmaz Keshavarzi First appraiser: Prof. Dr. Christoph Wagner Contents Preface ............................................................................................................................ 10 Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 11 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 12 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 13 1 Modernity .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 The beginning of modernity in Iran ....................................................................... 2 1.2 Modernity in Iran under Pahlavi rule .................................................................... 5 1.3 Chronology ............................................................................................................ 8 1.3.1 1911-1942 ................................................................................................... 8 1.3.2 1942-1958 ................................................................................................... 8 1.3.3 1958-1979 ................................................................................................... 9 2 The start of academic art instruction according to Western methods in Iran .......... 10 2.1 The formal inception of modern art in Iran ......................................................... 11 2.1.1 The Faculty of Fine Arts ........................................................................... 12 2.1.2 The Decorative Arts School ..................................................................... 13 3 Tehran galleries, 1954-1979 .................................................................................... 17 3.1 Apadana Gallery (established 1949) ................................................................... 18 3.2 Gallery Esthétique (established 1954) ................................................................. 18 3.3 Modern Art Gallery (established 1955) ............................................................... 19 3.4 Atelier Kaboud (1961-1968) ............................................................................... 19 3.5 Gilgamesh Gallery (1961-1963) .......................................................................... 20 3.6 Burgess Gallery (1966-1979) .............................................................................. 21 3.7 Seyhoun Art Gallery (established 1966) ............................................................. 21 3.8 Niazi Gallery (1967-1972; 1972-1978) ............................................................... 21 3.9 Khaneh Aftab Gallery (1970-1979) ..................................................................... 24 3.10 Zorvan Gallery (1973-1975) ................................................................................ 24 3.11 Sullivan Painting Gallery (1974-1979) ............................................................... 24 3.12 Ghandriz Hall (1964-1977) ................................................................................. 24 3.13 Mehrshad Gallery (1974-1979) ........................................................................... 25 3.14 Zand Gallery (1976-1978) ................................................................................... 28 3.15 Sheikh Gallery (1977-1978) ................................................................................ 29 3.16 Lito Gallery (1971-1979)..................................................................................... 29 4 Modern art exhibitions in Iran (from 1950s to 1979) .............................................. 33 4.1 International exhibitions and the Tehran Biennales ............................................ 33 4.2 The Tehran Biennales .......................................................................................... 35 4.2.1 The 1st Tehran Biennale (14th April 1958), Abyaz Palase ........................ 35 4.2.2 The 2nd Tehran Biennale (April-May 1960, Abyaz Palace) ..................... 38 4.2.3 The 3rd Tehran Biennale (April-May 1962), Abyaz Palace...................... 42 4.2.4 The 4th Tehran Biennale (April-May 1964), Abyaz Palace ...................... 49 4.2.5 The 5th Tehran Biennale (June-July 1966), Museum of Anthropology .... 55 4.3 Iran at the Venice Biennales ................................................................................ 58 5 Artists’ sponsors during the Pahlavi dynasty .......................................................... 61 5.1 The Ministry of Culture and the Arts .................................................................. 61 5.2 The Farah Pahlavi Foundation ............................................................................. 62 6 Uniquely Persian art styles during the Pahlavi dynasty .......................................... 64 6.1 Coffee House painting ......................................................................................... 64 6.2 The Kamal-ol-Molk school (Realism) ................................................................. 65 6.3 Miniature painting ............................................................................................... 66 6.4 The Saqqakhaneh movement ............................................................................... 66 6.4.1 The Saqqakhaneh school and calligraphy ................................................ 68 6.4.2 Favorite elements of the Saqqakhaneh school .......................................... 69 7 Iranian modern artists (1927-1979) ......................................................................... 70 7.1 Painters ................................................................................................................ 70 7.1.1 Jalil Ziapour (1920–1999) ........................................................................ 72 7.1.1.1 “Zeynab Khatun”, 1962..................................................................... 74 7.1.2 Marcos Grigorian (1925–2007) ................................................................ 74 Marcos Grigorian’s four ................................................................................................. 76 7.1.2.1 “The Gate of Auschwitz” .................................................................. 76 7.1.2.2 “Pop art, painting with straw” ........................................................... 76 7.1.3 Abbas Moayeri (born 1939) ..................................................................... 77 7.1.3.1 Classical Persian miniatures .............................................................. 79 7.1.3.2 Modern Persian miniatures................................................................ 79 7.1.3.3 Sculpture............................................................................................ 79 7.1.4 Bahman Mohassess (1931-2010) ............................................................. 79 7.1.4.1 “FiFi Howls from Happiness” ........................................................... 81 7.1.5 Behjat Sadr (1924–2009) .......................................................................... 81 7.1.5.1 “Abstract III”, 1961 ........................................................................... 83 7.2 Graphic designers ................................................................................................ 83 7.2.1 The beginning of modern graphic design in Iran ..................................... 83 7.2.2 Posters ....................................................................................................... 85 7.2.2.1 Morteza Momayez (1936–2005) ....................................................... 88 7.2.2.2 Farshid Mesghali (born 1943) ........................................................... 90 7.2.2.3 Ghobad Shiva (born 1940) ................................................................ 93 7.3 Sculptors .............................................................................................................. 96 7.3.1 Modern sculpture in Iran .......................................................................... 96 7.3.2 The sculpture workshops at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Tehran University 98 7.3.3 List of modern sculptors in Iran ............................................................... 98 7.3.3.1 Abolhassan Sadighi (1894 –1995) .................................................... 99 7.3.3.2 Ali Akbar Sanati (1917-2007) ......................................................... 100 7.3.3.3 Parviz Tanavoli (born 1937) ........................................................... 101 7.3.3.4 Bahman Mohassess (1931-2010) .................................................... 104 7.3.3.5 Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian (1922-2019) ............................ 106 7.4 Photographers .................................................................................................... 109 7.4.1 The beginning of photography in Iran .................................................... 109 7.4.2 Modern photography in Iran during the Pahlavi dynasty ....................... 110 7.4.2.1 Pahlavi I (1925-1941)...................................................................... 110 7.4.2.2