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Detail showing the Persian and Western influences (click any image to enlarge) |
Hossein Behzad (1894-1964) was an Iranian painter who started his career painting in the style of old Persian miniature paintings. He hoped to revive the style and was part of the Neo-Safavid movement. In the 1930s he moved to Paris for some time and studied Western and Eastern painting methods. He was to fold those influences into his work.
The Neo-Safavids met some skepticism at first because at the time Western collectors were interested in antique miniature Persian paintings, and the Neo-Safavids were often conflated with the fakers who were creating forgeries for the collector market. However, over time their work was accepted as a genuine and distinct art style.
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| Hossein Behzad by Morteza Katouzian |
