Semi-Annual
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| In Iranian painting, the interpretation of an artist’s perspective can be understood by examining the illustration of texts and fixed themes by prominent artists. From this perspective, the issue of the artist’s interpretation of literary texts holds paramount importance, and in illustrating various versions of these texts, artists have incorporated their personal interpretations of the original text, creating additional meanings beyond the content of the work. In the depiction of Khamseye Nizami in the Tabriz School of Safavid painting, artists have indeed created different layers of meaning essentially indicating the authorship of the artist in portraying scenes from Khamseye Tahmasbi. One of the artworks in which the artist has created an additional layer of meaning as the author is the painting “Shapur Showing the Portrait of Khosrow to Shirin”, by Mirza Ali in Khamseye Tahmasbi located in the British Library. This study is aimed at answering the question: What are the hidden layers of meaning in the painting “Shapur Showing the Portrait of Khosrow to Shirin”? The goal is to analyze the painting at three stages according to the iconology pattern of Erwin Panofsky to identify its layers of meaning through this method: pre-iconographic description, iconographic analysis, and iconological interpretation. This research, conducted through descriptive analytical methods and library research, reveals that instead of adhering to Khamseye Nizami, implying the image of Khosrow’s face being shown to Shirin by the servants and expressing a romantic atmosphere, here the artist himself is doing it. In this artwork, we are surprised to witness Shapur the painter performing this act, and he has portrayed Shirin and the servants with an anxious and surprised demeanor. The artist conveys moral messages to the king and the court of the Safavid era, indirectly and metaphorically. It serves as a warning symbol of the excessive prejudice, anger, injustice, and tyranny in the Safavid era, finally leading to the downfall of the monarchy. In fact, the creation of this artwork is rooted in the artist’s political, social, and to some extent, spiritual and religious perspectives, derived from the social conditions and wisdom of that era. |
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