In Islamic art, painting is not just for books! Some modern dynasties have also been connoisseurs of oil paintings, a technique from Europe. This was true of the Qajars, who ruled in Iran throughout the 19th century.
Under their reign, an easily recognizable portrait style developed. These works were then used as diplomatic gifts.
Director and cartoon author Marjane Satrapi was a descendant from this family. In her film Persépolis, she tells her own story amidst the upheavals that took place in Iran during the second half of the 20th century.
The Qajars, who ruled Iran in the 19th century, especially liked oil paintings.
When Behzad died, the masterpieces continued to appear in ever greater numbers in the Safavid royal miniature workshops.
Many artists continued the work of this great painter. Thanks to Qazi Ahmed, historian of the Safavid era, most of them are well-known today.
This single work, created for a Safavid monarch, involved … 15 different painters! Their 258 miniatures illustrate the Shahnameh (Book of Kings), one of the most famous Iranian literary works.
A great many painters and calligraphers, Behzad’s heirs, emerged under the Safavid dynasty.
Further West, under the Safavids, literary art underwent unprecedented development. Behzad, the painter, was one of the most important people at court.
Behzad was a great painter who helped to develop these arts during the Safavid dynasty.
1453 : Constantinople, the capital city of the old Byzantine Empire, was taken by the Ottomans. Their Empire now had a foothold in Europe!
They renamed the city of Istanbul and began to build the palace of: Topkapi. But that’s not all. Thanks to the many workshops in the palace, a vast treasure was built up.
The palace can be visited today.
After the conquest of Constantinople, the Ottomans had a magnificent palace built there: Topkapi.
Shâh Jahân was able to build the Taj Mahal because he led one of the biggest empires in the Islamic world!
From the 16th century onwards, the latter was divided between three giants:
The Islamic world was divided into three great empires from the beginning of the modern era: the Ottoman, Safavid and Mongol Empires.
Under the Il-Khanid dynasty, Iran experienced a true renewal thanks to influences from the entire world. Rashid al-Din took an active part in this blending of cultures.
Rashid al-Din was a politician and collector who brought scholars from the whole world to serve the Il-Khanids.
Let’s see how these pieces of porcelain (Islamic, not the Chinese pieces!) were made.
To obtain their white and blue colours, Islamic porcelain is covered with a “slip” and the decorations are painted on with cobalt oxide.
During the ninth century, Islamic potters set themselves the task of imitating the white porcelain imported from the Far East, which they greatly admired. They gave it a slight personal touch, adding blue decorations.
These pieces then came to China during the Mongol period. This time it was the Chinese who decided to imitate their Iranian colleagues, closing the loop!
Islamic Art
Chinese Art
White porcelain with blue decorations came out of exchanges between Chinese and Islamic art.
Let us return to the heart of the Islamic world. At the beginning of the 13th century, the Mongol Army, led by Gengis Khan, conquered the largest empire that the world had ever known.
The descendants of Gengis Khan, who were living in Iraq and Iran, converted to Islam, founding the Il-Khanid dynasty. This conquest strengthened the links between the Middle East and Asia, encouraging frequent exchanges between these two world regions.
The conquests of Gengis Khan, then the reigns of his successors strengthened the links between the Middle East and Asia.
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