Qajar Painting

by

Negar Habibi

• LAST MODIFIED: 17 April 2025
• DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199920105-0191

Introduction

The Qajar dynasty, founded by Muhammad Khan (r. 1789–1797), ruled over modern-day Iran and parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia during the nineteenth century until it was replaced by the Pahlavi dynasty in 1925, when Reza Shah (r. 1925–1941) was declared the new king by the Parliament (Majlis). Seven kings, all sons and grandsons of Fath ʿAli Shah (r. 1797–1834), the second Qajar monarch, were patrons of art and architecture and oversaw administrative and political affairs in the country. Fath ʿAli Shah was known for his large-scale portraits and paintings, and Naser al-Din Shah (r. 1848–1896), the fourth monarch, encouraged new technologies during his reign, influencing art production by introducing photography and prints. Iran’s interactions with the West evolved during his reign, and new elements such as sculpted reliefs, photography, and monumental secular and religious architecture were integrated into the Persian art scene. As such, Qajar art is noted for its distinctive fusion of European elements and deep roots in Persian artistic traditions from both the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods. The survival of the pictorial tradition is perceived in oil paintings, manuscript and album painting, lacquerware, under-glass paintings, colored lithographs, and tile panels. Qajar painting is characterized by its exuberant style, vivid use of color, and meticulous attention to detail and shading. The rich Qajar iconography features flowers, foliage, fruit, pastoral landscapes, Persian kings, battles, and popular folklore themes. These topics were featured in paintings on paper or canvas and lacquerworks, now considered the best examples of Qajar painting. The bibliography on the Qajar painting is still in need of enrichment. One of the earliest accounts is provided by Robert Murdoch Smith, who established collections of Persian art for the Victoria and Albert Museum and viewed Qajar art with critical sympathy during his tenure as director of the Persian telegraph department from 1865 to 1888. Gianroberto Scarcia also wrote one of the earliest accounts of Qajar painting, first published in Italian in 1958 and republished in English in The Encyclopedia of World Art (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1966). In 1972, S. J. Falk’s Qajar Painting introduced the monumental and decorative mural paintings of 19th-century Persia to a broader audience. Appreciated for their ornamental qualities, these paintings were known to only a few in the academic and art world. Basil W. Robinson was among the early Western scholars to write about Qajar painting. However, like many of his contemporaries, Robinson was critical of what he viewed as the “deplorable” trend of Europeanization. This perspective is now considered outdated, as it fails to acknowledge the creativity of Qajar artists in synthesizing various traditions. In 1998, Layla S. Diba curated the first exhibition of Qajar paintings, based on several public and private collections worldwide. Since then, other exhibitions have been organized, the art market has become increasingly interested, and scholars show more enthusiasm for analyzing and examining different aspects of Qajar painting. Even though Persian-speaking scholars have written several essays on the subject, one may admit that the Qajar painting bibliography is far from the richness of Safavid or Timurid art and painting. This bibliography presents publications in English and Persian, with a lesser number in French, on Qajar painting. These feature primary studies on the artists, topics, and techniques of Qajar painting. Iranian, American, and British museums hold a significant part of Qajar paintings, making research accessible for scholars. Nevertheless, additional German, Georgian, and Russian studies, to name some, will undoubtedly complete this list, as several collections of Qajar art are found in these regions.

General Overviews on Qajar Painting

Qajar art is a relatively new and evolving field of study within Islamic and Persian art. Some exhibitions and publications have been held on this topic but have been higher in number compared to Safavid (1501–1723), Timurid (1370–1507), or Ottoman (1299–1922) art and crafts. Nevertheless, one can expect more discoveries and revelations in upcoming academic essays as scholars and museums show more enthusiasm for exploring 19th-century Iranian arts and culture. This section includes some of the most significant general overviews of painting production during the Qajar dynasty (Robinson 1986, Floor 1999).

• Adamova, Adel T. “Art and Diplomacy: Qajar Paintings at the State Hermitage Museum.” In Royal Persian Painting: The Qajar Epoch, 1785–1925. Edited by Layla S. Diba and Maryam Ekhtiar, 66–75. New York: Brooklyn Museum of Art with I.B. Tauris, 1998.

  This article features and analyzes the small but rich and wide-ranging collection of Qajar art in the State Hermitage Museum in Russia. The collection consists of 15 oil paintings, 15 paintings and drawings, and some 295 lacquers and 20 enamels that entered the Hermitage in 1924–1925.

• Diba, Layla S., ed. Special Issue: Qajar Art and Society. Iranian Studies 34 (2001).

  This volume originated in the papers presented at a symposium, “Representing the Qajars: New Research in the Study of Nineteenth-Century Iran,” held on 11–12 December 1998 at New York University and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The publication features an introduction by Diba and twelve essays on Qajar art. A section on resources and book reviews in Persian is also included.

• Ekhtiar, Maryam. “From Workshop and Bazaar to Academy: Art Training and Production in Qajar Iran.” In Royal Persian Painting: The Qajar Epoch, 1785–1925. Edited by Layla S. Diba and Maryam Ekhtiar, 50–65. New York: Brooklyn Museum of Art with I.B. Tauris, 1998.

  This is a critical article on art education in the Qajar era, beginning with the establishment of the naqqashkhana in the royal court. Discussing the early Qajar period and its relationship to earlier traditions, Ekhtiar discusses in detail the hierarchy in the workshops, training centers, and artists’ social status. In the second part, she examines the Western manner of art teaching in the second half of the nineteenth century and concludes with Iran’s first Academy of Fine Arts, established by Kamal al-Mulk.

• Floor, Willem. “Art (Naqqashi) and Artists (Naqqashan) in Qajar Persia.” Muqarnas 16 (1999): 125–154.

  DOI: 10.1163/22118993-90000386

  This handy article squeezes Persian sources and presents guilds linked to art productions. It also categorises different types of painting productions and artists according to the centres, cities and families in the Qajar era. Available online.

• Grabar, Oleg. “Reflections on Qajar Art and Its Significance.” Iranian Studies 34.1/4 (2001): 183–186.

  DOI: 10.1080/00210860108702004

  This is a short note from Oleg Grabar in a volume edited by Layla S. Diba. It originated in the papers presented at a symposium entitled “Representing the Qajars: New Research in the Study of Nineteenth-Century Iran,” held on 11–12 December 1998 at New York University and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Garabar’s note is important because it shows how the field has improved since the beginning of the twentieth century. Available online.

• Koshoridza, Irina. “The Era of Qajar Art.” Tbilisi, Georgia: Atinati, 24 January 2024.

  This article features several of the Qajar easel paintings now housed at the Shalva Amiranashvili State Museum of Fine Arts, which is a part of the National Museum of Georgia. Available online.

• Robinson, B. W. “Art in Iran X.2 Qajar Painting.” In Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. 2, Fasc. 6. Edited by Ehsan Yarshater, 637–640. New York: Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation, 1986.

  This is the second part of the “History of Art in Iran” in the Encyclopaedia Iranica. Robinson presents a general overview of art in the Qajar dynasty by presenting some of the most known artists, mainly at the court of Fath ʿAli Shah and Naser al-Din Shah, as well as the lacquer and enamel paintings and print books in the later periods.

• Scarce, Jennifer. “Persian Art through the Eyes of Nineteenth-Century British Travellers.” Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies) 8 (1981): 38–50.

  DOI: 10.1080/13530198108705306

  This paper presents the impressions and observations of eight British diplomats and private travelers staying in Iran in the early nineteenth century and those who arrived after 1850.

• Scarce, J. M. “Art in Iran X.1 Art and Architecture of the Qajar Period.” In Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. 2, Fasc. 6. Edited by Ehsan Yarshater, 627–637. New York: Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation, 1986.

  The first part of “Art and Architecture of the Qajar Period” in the Encyclopaedia Iranica describes the general characteristics of the Qajar artistic style in secular and religious architecture and various architectural decorations, including painting.