The Meta-Linguistic Role of Isfahan School Paintings in Representing the Sadness of Being Away from Jābōlqā

Document Type : Original/Research/Regular Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate in Comparative and Analytical History of Islamic Art, Department of Advance Studies of Art, Faculty of Visual Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Professor of Department of Advanced Studies in Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran

3 Associate Professor of Department of Advanced Studies in Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran

10.22051/jtpva.2023.41400.1512

Abstract

Every social phenomenon is alive and dynamic when it moves in its cultural context, and parallel to the changes that occur in various political, social, cultural and artistic issues, that phenomenon also changes. Iranian painting in the 10th and 11th centuries A.H. has not been exempted from this. The social and political necessities of that period changed the path of painting. As a result of this transformation, the characteristics of painting were changed. Among these changes was the attention to anthropomorphism in painting, in such a way that man became the center of the image and attracted the viewer's attention by emphasizing the human body. This was especially evident when painting sought its themes not from literature but from routine and normal life among people.
In Isfahan school of painting, due to the reduction of the role of the court in ordering copies, the trend towards new styles that encouraged realism, and the interest of the society's elites to own the paintings, certainly single-figure painting with empty spaces. It increased the speed of the artist's work and was cheap and allowed the artist to accept more orders. In fact, in Isfahan school of painting, there is a way of thinking that, despite being Iranian, influences from Western art can be seen in it, based on which the artist looks through his own eyes and introduces man in an image that gradually becomes A normal person becomes transformed. That aspect of the look that announces the artist's presence either in the painting itself or by writing his name on it. Based on this, every artist has the right to create works that represent him. Even if his name is not on that painting. Therefore, by examining the paintings, one can identify the individual characteristics and the work of the artist's hand. This means that the social position of the artist is stabilized and he gets an artistic identity. Here, the artist intends to express himself through his paintings, just the opposite of the past when the painter, by depicting a subject of a poet, was dependent on the book or its subject, and his work was done based on the order of the patron. The artist is involved in human moments and actions, and the human role is the main subject.
Different types of utopian literature can be divided into three types in terms of the conceptual background: Mythical Utopia: which is an imitation of the prototype of heaven and its material embodiment, on the border between Minu(paradise) and Gitti(universe). Philosophical utopia: which presents the most pragmatic point of view in the field of political philosophy and pursues to achieve a desirable society with models for organizing individual and collective life, and literary utopia which is based on Some of politics, wisdom, mysticism and humanism, etc., narrates the story of a trip to a city that embodies the human mindsets and aspirations of the creator of the work with a poetic or imaginary tone. The story of man's liberation from the dark narrowness of this material world and his return to the world of unity and his eternal abode has been reflected in various forms in classical and contemporary epic and mystical literature. Returning to the origin is the inner, natural and universal need of all people, which does not conflict with the desire for immortality; because they become one with eternity; therefore, returning to the eternal time means the desire to become immortal. Returning to the original to create a new transformation is, in fact, a renewed awareness of the creator of existence and a renewal of the covenant with him. In mystical thinking, returning to the origin of divinity is the natural inclination and desire of the heart of a complete mystic and possessor of knowledge. Mystical literature is a clear example of allegorical works with the theme of sojourn and the desire to return to the original. In these works, the mystical journey of the seeker goes beyond the formal interpretation and theoretical report and reaches the interpretation of meanings. These mystical parables are done with the help of active imagination. The allegory indicates the inner events and developments in which the soul, after being freed from the shackles and the gradual ascension and departure from exile, goes through the steps to reach the truth, and through this ascension with the vision of imagination, the face it focuses on imaginary and symbolic persons.
According to the theme presented in the examined pictures and according to the mentioned cases, the result of the present research can be stated as follows: in all three pictures, we witness a kind of timelessness and spacelessness, where things like alienation By their very nature, they induce inconsistency with the world, the feeling of lack in what is, alienation from nature, anxiety and worry, which causes the escape and hatred of the existing world on the one hand and love, enthusiasm and desire for the world that is on the other hand. must be It seems that, in general, such situations and hauntings have appeared more in some strata of society, like artists, and they have seized the opportunity and have not given up their pen in portraying it. Also, it seems that the Iranian painter artist was not satisfied with what he was in the period he lived in, so he felt a lack and tried to compensate by drawing pictures of this kind. In any case, if we look at the issue from the perspective of Iranian-Islamic philosophy and wisdom, it is as if a conscious person has a desire to return to the origin and an exemplary and ideal place such as Jabolqa, which in some paintings, the aspect of self-talk (monologue) Imagery and Hadith had an image-like spirit; Manifested in an acceptable manner. The theme of sojourn and the desire to return to the origin is a precedent in Iranian mystical literature, and painters have depicted this incongruous and unimaginative feeling with the help of their active imagination.
Metlanguage in the term means the use of speech without using words; This interpretation has been used in the phenomenology of the concept of Jābōlqā in the paintings of the Isfahan school, and for this purpose, three paintings of the Isfahan school, from the works of Reza Abbasi and his son Mohammad Shafi Abbasi, have been consciously chosen in order to examine the elements that are used in the advancement of this The concept helps to identify. The article is practical in terms of purpose and has evaluated the paintings of Isfahan school by inductive method and descriptive-analytical approach. In the pictures studied, there are three different states of the desire to return (lack of ambition and lack of a trusted person to telling secrets in picture one - determination to change the situation and escape from the current situation in picture two - sense of helplessness and passivity and unwillingness to change the existing situation in picture three) found. In general, it seems that due to the relationship of the Safavid court with European countries and the transfer of Western painters and paintings to the Safavid capital, the appearance of single-character paintings expressing specific mental and emotional states (indicating the increase in individuality and artistic identification of the artist) observed; which have presented the inner expressions of the painter in the form of images.

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