BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
Stunning portraiture of women during the Qajar era (1779-1925) in Iran highlights the most recent temporary exhibition which opened yesterday at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA).
The portraits executed in distinct style are among some 40 pieces drawn from the MIA’s permanent collection being displayed for the first time in an exhibition.
The era is distinct for artistic modernisation and exuberance as depicted by flamboyant use of colours and exaggeration in the portraiture of the subjects.
“Qajar Women: Images of Women in 19th-Century Iran” exhibition located in the Temporary Exhibition Galleries on the fourth floor of MIA features lacquered mirror cases and pen boxes, watercolours, manuscripts, jewellery, ceramics, and metalwork, all related to women of the time.
Qajar Women exhibition is a new take on Qajar art. Veering away from the archetypal presentation of iconography mostly focused on male royals exuding power, this new exhibition shines the spotlight on women as the main subject in art particularly in paintings and photography of the late Persian Empire.
The exhibition includes artworks that reflect various interpretations of female musicians, aristocratic women, women at the court and in private quarters, all exploring the rarely-told narratives of the Qajar artistic tradition.
The historical objects from the MIA collection are supplemented by reproduction of 16 photographs from Harvard University and contemporary artworks by Iranian contemporary artists Hojat Amani, Mahmood Sabzi and Shadi Ghadirian. As well as confirming the potent influence of Qajar female image today, the works of the three contemporary artists comment on modernity and femininity.
The exhibition is divided into four interesting themes namely ‘Notions of Beauty: Images of Women in Qajar Art’; ‘Daily Life’; ‘Women, Power, and Refinement’; and ‘Women as Symbols in Qajar Art.’
‘Daily Life’ shows the daily experiences of women during the era are no different to the present with activities showing them at the market, in their homes or taking part in private and public festivities.
‘Notions of Beauty’ presents painted objects, drawing, jewellery, and photographs demonstrating the contrasting and evolving ideals of feminine beauty from the late Safavid to the Qajar period.
‘Women, Power, and Refinement’ provides a glimpse on the importance of women as subjects in art production in this era, during which commissioning images of women in the Qajar court was an artistic innovation at a time when most court portraits were of male sovereigns.
‘Women as Symbols in Qajar Art’ explores the range of meanings assigned to the image of women whose depictions in stories and poetry in Qajar Iran provide various emotional and aesthetic layers.
“This innovative exhibition is designed to completely change the perception of Qajar art as a male-dominated medium. The wide variety of objects and artworks on display illustrate the ways in which images of women can be used to understand the history of their daily lives, their roles in aristocratic pursuits, how notions of feminine beauty change over time and how women were used as symbols in Qajar art. We hope these stories will capture the imagination of visitors from a wide range of communities and across cultures, just as they continue to inspire and educate artists today,” MIA Director Aisha Al Khater said in a statement.
Running in parallel with the exhibition are special public programs which cater to women, academics, and families. These include daytime tours with exhibition curators, weekend family activities and a learning beyond the classroom event scheduled for teachers, among others.
A special talk entitled ‘Beauty and Moustaches in Qajar Art’ will be delivered by the exhibition curators Dr Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya and Dr Nur Sobers-Khan next month.
The exhibition is open to the public until June 11, 2016.
The Peninsula
