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Cut Out Project​

Idea and Design: Ghazal PartouProduced By: Tirgan Festival19th century.

Installed in Tirgan Festival 2015

Out Door Installation Project

Harbourfront Centre - Toronto, Canada

This project was created by combining four different Qajar paintings from the 19th century. The goal is to give the audience a chance to be a part of all these massive and fabulous artistic designs so they can enjoy the colours and patterns from one of the greatest eras of Persian art history 

   

paintings:

  • Prince Yahya – Attributed to Muhammad Hasan –Medium, oil on canvas

  • A Court Lady Playing A Santour, attributable to the 'Shirin Painter,' Persia, Qajar

  • 19th century, A Portrait of a Musician, Persia, Qajar

  • A Large lacquer mirror case, Persia, Qajar

 

Qajar art
Qajar art refers to the art, architecture, and art forms of the Qajar dynasty of the late Persian Empire, which lasted from 1925 to 1781.
The boom in artistic expression that occurred during the Qajar era was the fortunate side effect of the period of relative peace that accompanied the rule of Agha Muhammad Khan and his descendants. Most notably, Qajar art is recognizable for its distinctive style of portraiture.
The roots of traditional Qajar painting can be found in the style of painting that arose during the preceding Safavid empire. During this time, there was a great deal of European influence on Persian culture, especially in the arts of the royalty and noble classes. While the depiction of inanimate objects and still life is seen to be very realistic in Qajar's painting, the depiction of human beings is decidedly idealized. This is especially evident in the portrayal of Qajar royalty, where the subjects of the paintings are very formulaically placed and situated to achieve the desired effect. The most famous of the Qajar artworks are the portraits that were made of the various Persian Shahs. Each ruler, many of their sons, and other relatives commissioned official portraits of themselves either for private use or public display. The most famous of these are, of course, the myriad portraits which were painted of Fath Ali Shah Qajar, who, with his narrow waist, long black bifurcated beard and deep-set eyes, has come to exemplify the Romantic image of the great Oriental Ruler. women's portraits capture the Qajar ideal of beauty, specifically in the maiden's 'joined eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, puckered lips and flamboyant hair.


 

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