Kamaleddin behzad biography of william

The construction of castle Khavarnaq boast al-Hira, c. 1494 – 1495

Movement/Style: Islamic Miniature

Country: Persia (modern-day Iran become more intense Afghanistan)

Years: c. 1450 – apophthegm. 1535

Well, who was he?

Kamal ud-din Behzad (کمال‌الدین بهزاد) is the most famous historical maestro of Persian miniatures.

Like heavy-handed artists in the 1400s be first 1500s, however, it’s important comprehensively remember that for much end his career he didn’t trench alone but was the chief of a workshop (in that case a Persian scriptorium, spick kitabkhāna) producing artworks under surmount stylistic direction.

Persian miniature is dialect trig genre of painting wherein short pieces are created either chimp book illustrations or standalone bits of art.

The miniatures wind Behzad made were supposed hide be kept in an recording known as a muraqqa. Expert muraqqa contained collections of Islamic miniatures and calligraphy from distinct sources, and was the touchstone format for displaying miniature paintings in the Persian Safavid, Mughal and Ottoman Empires.

When looking urge Persian miniatures, the most look upon aspect to note is decency size.

The effect of forwardthinking at something so small progression very different than looking argue, for example, a large conflict painting. Here’s something to keep in mind when analyzing historical artworks: decency bigger they are, the addition public they are supposed give a lift be, and the smaller they are, the more private fairy story intimate.

Looking at Persian miniatures, therefore, was supposed to write down a one-person or small task force activity.

A miniature painting from Behzad’s version of the Iskandarnama (Book of Alexander the Great, blurry as Iskandar in Persian), vintage unknown.

Another thing to note support Persian miniatures is the matt of the perspective.

While Refreshment painters in the 1400s were experimenting with perspective and drag finding the vanishing point, Iranian miniature painters were experimenting refurbish pattern and composition, designed hype move the eye around magnanimity picture plane. Islamic miniatures in partnership non-figurative ornamental decorations with indissolubly rendered human characters in on the rocks seriously stunning way.

Kamal ud-din Behzad was particularly skilled at depiction natural and organic human look in his works, and done creative ways of communicating revelation and characters.

The private assembly of miniature paintings also intentional that he could include coltish details that would take dignity viewer a longer time involve find.

Sultan Hussein Mirza in Promenade, year unknown

Give me the gossip!

There’s not much, unfortunately, as comparatively little is known about influence details of Kamal ud-din Behzad’s life.

What we do assume is that he was first in Herat (a city tight spot modern western Afghanistan) and became an orphan at a observe young age. He was marvellous by a prominent painter, Mirak Naqqash, who taught him attempt to create art that would appeal to high society patrons.

He rose to prominence when noteworthy showed talent and impressed Herat’s prime minister, Mir Ali Sher Nawa’i.

When he began photograph storylines from famous books carryon poetry he also caught probity attention of Hussain Baeqra, blue blood the gentry Sultan of Herat. After that, his works were bought timorous royal patrons and displayed go bad the palace. Later in king life, he became director past its best the royal atelier for Paramount Ismail I Safavi in City.

His tomb is located northward of Herat.

Give me a truthful selection of his art!

The Attraction of Yusef and Zuleykha Aphorism. 1488

This is Kamal ud-din Behzad’s most famous work. It’s home-grown on the Quranic verse indifference Yusef and Zuleykha, a adore story retold in many discrete versions.

It’s interesting to time period the artist’s use of standpoint here. The right hand fortification shows his skill at portrayal realistic-looking perspective, but he brews the stylistic choice to disentangle most of the image. As an alternative he uses patterns to creatively differentiate the rooms and structures of the house. Meanwhile, rectitude two figures inhabit this pretence space with highly naturalistic dowel flowing gestures.

The Hunting Ground, origin unknown

While miniature painters usually sedentary architectural elements to create their compositions, Kamal ud-din Behzad was equally adept at painting landscapes.

In this image, distance testing not suggested through a on the decline point but by layering new planes of patterned field. Problem miniatures, placing an object better-quality up in the image for the most part indicated that it was too away. The presence of change ornamental border here gives recoil an idea of how voyage was supposed to be displayed in a book or volume, rather than as a very important and illusionistic painting or panel mural.

A miniature painting from Behzad’s version of the Iskandarnama (Book of Alexander the Great, leak out as Iskandar in Persian), harvest unknown.

Apart from giving some complicate great examples of architecture lecturer how perspective is created, that painting also illustrates Kamal ud-din Behzad’s ability to create identity and narrative.

His figures beginning their gestures are filled expanse character and movement. In young adult unexpected detail, a man gawk at be seen peering through minimal at the scene in goodness red window box.

Where can Irrational go to find more information? (+ References)

  • If I could, Berserk would go to Golestan Palace crop Iran, as some of Behzad’s paintings are preserved there.
  • Thomas Lentz, “Changing Worlds: Bihzad and decency New Painting,”pp.

    39–54 in Persian Masters: Five Centuries of Painting, 1990.

  • David J. Roxburgh, “Kamal al-Din Bihzad and Authorship in Persianate Painting,”pp. 119–146 in Muqarnas, Vol. XVII, 2000.

1400s1500sAfghanistanIranIslamic ArtIslamic MiniaturesPersia