Sadiqi Beg, also referred to as Sadiqi Beg Afshar was a painter, poet, biographer, draftsman, soldier and miniaturist of the Safavid period. [1] Born in Tabriz in 1533, he spent a number of years as a wandering dervish before settling in Qazwin where he occupied several positions in the royal court. Ultimately, he was dismissed from a post in the royal library in 1596, and he spent his final years focused on his own writing before his death in Isfahan in 1610. [2]
Sadiqi Beg was born in Tabriz, the historic capital of the Safavid dynasty, into the Khudabandalu Turkoman tribe in 940/1533. [3] He came from a notable line of Turkish soldiers that migrated from Syria to support Shah Isma'il who founded the Safavid dynasty in 1501. [4] [5] His father was assassinated when Sadiqi was young, and, despite his family’s noble history, he was left without an inheritance. [1] Consequently, Sadiqi Beg spent many years as a wandering dervish before deciding to pursue art and poetic science at the age of 32. [2] He moved to Qazwin in 1568 and asked his pupil and nephew Muzaffar Ali, reputedly an incredible figure painter, to teach him the style of the earlier well-known artist, Bihzad. [3] [6]
Sadiqi Beg was initially invited to serve under Shah Isma’il II whose short rule lasted from 1576-1577. Following this brief royal appointment, while Sultan Mohammad Khuadbanda was in power from 1577 to 1587, he left Qazwin to fight in the Battle of Astarabad (ca. 1581). [2] Following the battle, he lived in the Iranian cities Hamadan, Lahijan and Yazd. [7]
He remained absent from the royal court throughout the rule of Muhammad Khudabanda, from 1576-1588, and during this time he focused on single page works rather than large-scale manuscripts. [2] Eventually, when Shah Abbas I rose to power in 1581, Sadiqi returned to the court and became head of the royal library in Qazwin. [5] He was highly regarded by royal figures but disliked by his colleagues in the court, and he was dismissed from the library in 1596. However, despite losing this role, he retained the official title and salary and regularly consulted with Shah Abbas I on manuscripts and other royal subjects for the remainder of his life. [4] [2]
Several pieces attributed to Sadiqi Beg survive in modern museums and private collections, and his work is often characterized by its unique colors, distinct contours, and stiff subjects. Many of his most famous illustrations were created while working in the royal court, and he supervised the creation of several important royal volumes. Prior to Shah Isma’il II’s rule, he contributed a single painting to a copy of Asadi’s Garshāspnāma commissioned by the Safavid ruler Tahmasp. [2] Following this piece, he would go on to illustrate additional royal manuscripts for later rulers.
He heavily contributed to Shah Isma’il II’s Shānāma, and he is credited as the creator of seven of its surviving paintings. Similarly, he painted three pieces for a major Shānāma commissioned by Shah Abbas I. [2] This copy partially survives in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, although it remains incomplete and is missing several pages. [5] In addition to his manuscript illustrations, Safavid historian Iskandar Beg Munshi credits Sadiqi Beg with all of the drawing and many of the paintings in Qazwin’s royal palace and the assembly hall in Čhehel Sotūn. [8]
In 1593, just before leaving his royal employ, Sadiqi Beg personally commissioned and illustrated a copy of Kashifi’s Anvār-I Suhaylī (Lights of Canopus). The volume included 107 drawings, possibly all by Sadiqi himself, and it demonstrates his personal investment in the arts. [2] Some scholars such as B. W. Robinson attribute these miniatures exclusively to Sadiqi, although others, such as Basil Gray, believe they belong to several artists. However, it remains likely that he commissioned this work with personal funds. [2]
He was also known for popularizing the Iranian "calligraphic style of drawing." This method is evident in works such as Dragon and Clouds (ca. 1600) which is currently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. [9] Examples of Sadiqi's work survive in several museums and private collections, and they are highly valued instances of Safavid era artwork. In 1996, a gouache miniature on gold paper, Portrait d'une Jeune Femme Assise sur un Rocher (1590), attributed to Sadiqi, sold at auction in Paris for 80,000 French francs (15,792 U.S. dollars; 12,604 euros; or 10,301 British pounds). The manuscript, in the collection of the Marquess of Bute, is inscribed to "Sadiqi Beg, the rarity of the age, the second Mani, the Bihzad of the time." [10]
Sadiqi's native language was Chaghatai, however he was proficient in two additional Turkish literary languages. The Majma’ al-khavass (Lives of Artists) is considered one of his most important written works, and it provides biographical sketches of some of the era's leading poets, artists and connoisseurs. [1] This work was inspired by Turkish poets Ali-Shir Nava’i, Baki, and Fuzuli, and it includes biographies of 330 poets alongside samples of their work. [4] Further, the Majma’ al-khavass is split into eight sections and includes details on contemporary rulers, Turkish Statesmen, and Persian Poets. [1]
In addition to this piece, he wrote the famous Qanun as-Suwar (Canons of Painting) between 1576 and 1602. This work is a treatise on painting techniques published in Persian verse, and he reportedly "painted thousands of marvelous portraits." [11] [12] Sadiqi Beg’s writings are an important tool for interpreting historical Persian miniature paintings as he details styles and provides instruction for making art. His Persian writing style was inspired by classic Persian artists, including Khaqani, Ẓahīr, Kamal od-Din Esmail, and Saadi Shirazi. [4] Uniquely, historians note that he avoided politics by abstaining from using religious denominations to refer to different techniques in his art, and he used classical styles while critiquing contemporary practices. [4] [3]
The Safavid dynasty was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder empires. The Safavid Shāh Ismā'īl I established the Twelver denomination of Shīʿa Islam as the official religion of the Persian Empire, marking one of the most important turning points in the history of Islam. The Safavid dynasty had its origin in the Safavid order of Sufism, which was established in the city of Ardabil in the Iranian Azerbaijan region. It was an Iranian dynasty of Kurdish origin, but during their rule they intermarried with Turkoman, Georgian, Circassian, and Pontic Greek dignitaries, nevertheless, for practical purposes, they were Turkic-speaking and Turkified. From their base in Ardabil, the Safavids established control over parts of Greater Iran and reasserted the Iranian identity of the region, thus becoming the first native dynasty since the Sasanian Empire to establish a national state officially known as Iran.
Tahmasp I was the second shah of Safavid Iran from 1524 until his death in 1576. He was the eldest son of Ismail I and his principal consort, Tajlu Khanum. Ascending the throne after the death of his father on 23 May 1524, the first years of Tahmasp's reign were marked by civil wars between the Qizilbash leaders until 1532, when he asserted his authority and began an absolute monarchy. He soon faced a long-lasting war with the Ottoman Empire, which was divided into three phases. The Ottoman sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, tried to install his own candidates on the Safavid throne. The war ended with the Peace of Amasya in 1555, with the Ottomans gaining sovereignty over Iraq, much of Kurdistan, and western Georgia. Tahmasp also had conflicts with the Uzbeks of Bukhara over Khorasan, with them repeatedly raiding Herat. In 1528, at the age of fourteen, he defeated the Uzbeks in the Battle of Jam by using artillery.
A talar or talaar is a type of porch or hall in Iranian architecture. It generally refers to a porch fronting a building, supported by columns, and open on one or three sides. The term is also applied more widely to denote a throne hall or audience hall with some of these features.
Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād, also known as Kamal al-din Bihzad or Kamaleddin Behzād, was a Persian painter and head of the royal ateliers in Herat and Tabriz during the late Timurid and early Safavid Periods. He is regarded as marking the highpoint of the great tradition of Islamic miniature painting. He was well known for his very prominent role as kitābdār in the Herat Academy as well as his position in the Royal Library in the city of Herat. His art is unique in that it includes the common geometric attributes of Persian painting, while also inserting his own style, such as vast empty spaces to which the subject of the painting dances around. His art includes masterful use of value and individuality of character, with one of his most famous pieces being "The Seduction of Yusuf" from Sa'di's Bustan of 1488. Behzād's fame and renown in his lifetime inspired many during, and after, his life to copy his style and works due to the wide praise they received. Due to the great number of copies and difficulty with tracing origin of works, there is a large amount of contemporary work into proper attribution.
A Persian miniature is a small Persian painting on paper, whether a book illustration or a separate work of art intended to be kept in an album of such works called a muraqqa. The techniques are broadly comparable to the Western Medieval and Byzantine traditions of miniatures in illuminated manuscripts. Although there is an equally well-established Persian tradition of wall-painting, the survival rate and state of preservation of miniatures is better, and miniatures are much the best-known form of Persian painting in the West, and many of the most important examples are in Western, or Turkish, museums. Miniature painting became a significant genre in Persian art in the 13th century, receiving Chinese influence after the Mongol conquests, and the highest point in the tradition was reached in the 15th and 16th centuries. The tradition continued, under some Western influence, after this, and has many modern exponents. The Persian miniature was the dominant influence on other Islamic miniature traditions, principally the Ottoman miniature in Turkey, and the Mughal miniature in the Indian sub-continent.
Farrukh Beg, also known as Farrukh Husayn, was a Persian miniature painter, who spent a bulk of his career in Safavid Iran and Mughal India, praised by Mughal Emperor Jahangir as "unrivaled in the age."
Safavid art is the art of the Iranian Safavid dynasty from 1501 to 1722, encompassing Iran and parts of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It was a high point for Persian miniatures, architecture and also included ceramics, metal, glass, and gardens. The arts of the Safavid period show a far more unitary development than in any other period of Iranian art. The Safavid Empire was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia, and with this, the empire produced numerous artistic accomplishments.
Vahshi Bafqi was a Persian poet of the Safavid era, considered to be one of the greatest of his generation.
Prince Ibrahim Mirza, Solṭān Ebrāhīm Mīrzā, in full Abu'l Fat'h Sultan Ibrahim Mirza was a Persian prince of the Safavid dynasty, who was a favourite of his uncle and father-in-law Shah Tahmasp I, but who was executed by Tahmasp's successor, the Shah Ismail II. Ibrahim is now mainly remembered as a patron of the arts, especially the Persian miniature. Although most of his library and art collection was apparently destroyed by his wife after his murder, surviving works commissioned by him include the manuscript of the Haft Awrang of the poet Jami which is now in the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.
Aliquli Jabbadar was an Iranian artist, one of the first to have incorporated European influences in the traditional Safavid-era miniature painting. He is known for his scenes of the Safavid courtly life, especially his careful rendition of the physical setting and of details of dress.
Mo'en Mosavver or Mu‘in Musavvir was a Persian miniaturist, one of the significant in 17th-century Safavid Iran. Not much is known about the personal life of Mo'en, except that he was born in ca. 1610-1615, became a pupil of Reza Abbasi, the leading painter of the day, and probably died in 1693. Over 300 miniatures and drawings attributed to him survive. He was a conservative painter who partly reversed the advanced style of his master, avoiding influences from Western painting. However, he painted a number of scenes of ordinary people, which are unusual in Persian painting.
Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia, also referred to as the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and long-standing Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder empires. The Safavid Shāh Ismā'īl I established the Twelver denomination of Shīʿa Islam as the official religion of the empire, marking one of the most important turning points in the history of Islam.
Persian art or Iranian art has one of the richest art heritages in world history and has been strong in many media including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and sculpture. At different times, influences from the art of neighbouring civilizations have been very important, and latterly Persian art gave and received major influences as part of the wider styles of Islamic art. This article covers the art of Persia up to 1925, and the end of the Qajar dynasty; for later art see Iranian modern and contemporary art, and for traditional crafts see arts of Iran. Rock art in Iran is its most ancient surviving art. Iranian architecture is covered at that article.
The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp or Houghton Shahnameh is one of the most famous illustrated manuscripts of the Shahnameh, the national epic of Greater Iran, and a high point in the art of the Persian miniature. It is probably the most fully illustrated manuscript of the text ever produced. When created, the manuscript contained 759 pages, 258 of which were miniatures. These miniatures were hand-painted by the artists of the royal workshop in Tabriz under rulers Shah Ismail I and Shah Tahmasp I. Upon its completion, the Shahnameh was gifted to Ottoman Sultan Selim II in 1568. The page size is about 48 x 32 cm, and the text written in Nastaʿlīq script of the highest quality. The manuscript was broken up in the 1970s and pages are now in a number of different collections around the world.
Gülru Necipoğlu is a Turkish American professor of Islamic Art/Architecture. She has been the Aga Khan Professor and Director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University since 1993, where she started teaching as Assistant Professor in 1987. She received her Harvard Ph.D. in the Department of History of Art and Architecture (1986), her BA in Art History at Wesleyan, her high school degree in Robert College, Istanbul (1975). She is married to the Ottoman historian and Harvard University professor Cemal Kafadar. Her sister is the historian Nevra Necipoğlu.
Dengiz Beg Rumlu was an Iranian courtier, who served as merchant-envoy to Habsburg Spain during the reign of Safavid king (shah) Abbas I.
Farangi-Sazi was a style of Persian painting that originated in Safavid Iran in the second half of the 17th century. This style of painting emerged during the reign of Shah Abbas II, but first became prominent under Shah Solayman I.
Ali Asghar was an Iranian court painter of the Safavid era. He was the father of the renowned miniaturist Reza Abbasi, whose early works were probably influenced by Ali Asghar.
'Ataullah Rushdi bin Ahmad Ma'mar was a 17th-century architect and a mathematics writer from the Mughal Empire of present-day India. He designed the Bibi Ka Maqbara at Aurangabad and some buildings at Shahjahanabad. As a mathematics writer, he translated the Arabic-language Khulasat al-Hisab and the Sanskrit-language Bijaganita into Persian.
Varka and Golshah, also Varqeh and Gulshah, Varqa o Golšāh, is an 11th-century Persian epic in 2,250 verses, written by the poet Ayyuqi. In the introduction, the author eulogized the famous Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud of Ghazni (r.998–1030).
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
