The Theme and the Form of the Paintings during the First Decade of the Revolution

Culture and Art

473
12 April 2023

The Theme and the Form of the Paintings during the First Decade of the Revolution

The art of the Islamic Revolution is an artistic movement the official beginning of which has been coincided with the occurrence of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Painting with the theme of the Islamic Revolution is an important part of the art of the Islamic Revolution, which was formed for the first time when an exhibition was held in the first months of the Revolution in Hoseyniyeh Ershad, Tehran. According to some researchers, painting with the theme of the Islamic Revolution, although apparently, in its early years, was somehow indebted to the schools of Western styles in terms of the forms. Such painting is a part of the art of the Islamic Revolution, which emerged in 1979 with the victory of the Islamic Revolution as a new art trend and a little later as a powerful and dominant art trend in the country. If we look at it from the point of view of art history, we should consider the beginning of this category of painting to be April 9, 1979, that is, the day of the opening of an exhibition in Hoseyniyeh Ershad, where the works of Mr. Habibollah Sadeqi, Kazem Chalipa, Mortaza Heydari, Hoseyn Khosrojerdi and Naser Palangi were displayed. In addition, Mortaza Katoozyan, Hannibal AlKhas, Hoseyn Sadri and Mohammad Ali Rajabi also participated in this exhibition with their works.

The group who established themselves as painters who cover the theme of the Revolution in the first decade of the Islamic Revolution, includes Iraj Eskandari, Naser Palangi, Kazem Chalipa, Mortaza Heydari, Hoseyn Khosrojerdi, Mohammad Ali Rajabi, Habibollah Sadeqi, Hoseyn Sadri, Abolfazl Aali, Hamid Qadirian, Mostafa Goudarzi, Mostafa Nadarlou and Ali Vazirian Thani. As mentioned, the main players in this group of painters are Palangi, Chalipa, Khosrojerdi and Sadeqi. Goudarzi, Qadirian, and Eskandari are also known as prominent figures of this trend, especially during the first decade of the Revolution.

Features of the Painting with the Theme of the Revolution

According to different narratives of researchers, thinkers, and painters, these factors include:

Islam and its main concepts, Islamic ideology and worldview, and Islamic mysticism.
Shi’ah Islam and its fundamental concepts.
Islamic Revolution, concepts and events related to it, and other revolutions and resistance movements in Muslim countries.
The Imposed War.
Iran and Iranian identity.
Transcendent human concepts, including social justice, honesty, social commitment, keeping promises, philanthropy and seeking justice.

As far as the main types of expression in the painting covering the theme of the Revolution are concerned, one can mention the below categories:

Realism
Symbolism
Subjective realism
Iranian miniature
Coffee house painting.

Introducing Works

Table 1: Introducing Works

Painter’s Name	Name of the Work	Dimensions			Details
Painter’s Name	Name of the Work	Length	Width	Area	Details
Iraj Eskandari Borin in 1956, Kashmar	1-Ayadat	150	100	15000	Ten Years with the Painters of the Revolution, P. 20
	2- Mahtab	150	100	15000	P. 22
	3- Bombaran	150	100	15000	P. 24
	4- Motajavez	260	180	46800	P. 26
	5- Hami-e Sheytan	200	80	16000	P. 27
Kazem Chalipa Born in 1957, Tehran	1- Iethar	300	200	60000	P. 46
	2- Yaqeen	150	100	15000	P. 48
	3- Khoun bar Shamshir Pirooz Ast	200	163	32600	P. 53
	4- Moushakhai-e Sekke-Parast	250	200	50000	P. 54
	5- Kavir	160	130	20800	P. 67
Habibollah Sadeqi Born in 1957, Tehran	1- Rami-e Jamarat	200	150	30000	P. 111
	2- Tashie-e Qoloub	170	112	19040	P. 114
	3- Chahe Vail	137	62	8494	P. 115
	4- Parkanan-e Moulana	123	83	10209	P. 117
	5- Hobout	150	120	18000	P. 119
Hamid Qadirian Born in 1960, Tehran	1- Barekat	220	135	29700	P. 142
	2- Sazandegi	200	130	26000	P. 144
	3- Pousidegi	170	107	18200	P. 146-*
	4- Shahid	100	80	8000	P. 136
	5- Sougvari	160	130	20800	P. 141
Mostafa Goudarzi Born in 1960, Boroujerd	1- Gorosnegi	70	70	4900	P. 152
	2- Bombaran	152	103	15700	P. 153
	3- Anha qabl az Taballod Shahid Mishavand	175	125	21900	P. 156
	4- Hasrat	150	100	15000	P. 175
	5- Milad	120	85	102000	P. 169

Note: The technique used in all of these works is oil painting.

*The technique used in this painting is a combination of oil painting and collage.

Iraj Eskandari 1

Iraj Eskandari 2

Iraj Eskandari 3

Iraj Eskandari 4

Iraj Eskandari 5

Kazem Chalilpa 1

Kazem Chalipa 2

Kazem Chalipa 3

Kazem Chalipa 4

Kazem Chalipa 5

Habibollah Sadeqi 1

Habibollah Sadeqi 2

Habibollah Sadeqi 3

Habibollah Sadeqi 4

Habibollah Sadeqi 5

Hamid Qadirian 1

Hamid Qadirian 2

Hamid Qadirian 3

Hamid Qadirian 4

Hamid Qadirian 5

Mostafa Goudarzi 1

Mostafa Goudarzi 2

Mostafa Goudarzi 3

Mostafa Goudarzi 4

Mostafa Goudarzi 5

Table 2: The Primary and Secondary Themes of the Paintings and the Reasons for Their Formation

Painter’s Name	Name of the Work	Primary Theme	Secondary Theme			Factors Affecting the Emergence of such Themes
Painter’s Name	Name of the Work	Primary Theme	1		2	Main	Secondary 1	Secondary 2
Iraj Eskandari	1-Ayadat	Imposed War	Human Concepts			War	Humanity
	2- Mahtab	Imposed War	Human Concepts			War	Humanity
	3- Bombaran	Imposed War	Human Concepts			War	Humanity
	4- Motajavez	Imposed War	Islamic Contents			War	Islam
	5- Hami-e Sheytan	Imposed War				War
Kazem Chalipa	1- Iethar	Imposed War	Shiite Contents		Revolution	War	Shiism	Revolution
	2- Yaqeen	Islam	Revolution			Islam	Revolution
	3- Khoun bar Shamshir Pirooz Ast	Imposed War	Shiite Contents			War	Shiism
	4- Moushakhai-e Sekke-Parast	Revolution	Imposed War			Revolution	War
	5- Kavir	Imposed War	Human Concepts			War	Humanity
Habibollah Sadeqi	1- Rami-e Jamarat	Revolution	Islamic Contents		War	Revolution	Islam	War
	2- Tashie-e Qoloub	Imposed War	Mystic			War	Islam
	3- Chahe Vail	Revolution	Mystic			Revolution	Islam
	4- Parkanan-e Moulana	Mystic				Humanity
	5- Hobout	Mystic	Islamic Contents			Islam	Islam
Hamid Qadirian	1- Barekat	Revolution	Islamic Contents			Revolution	Humanity
	2- Sazandegi	Revolution	Islamic Contents			Revolution	Humanity
	3- Pousidegi	Revolution				Revolution
	4- Shahid	Imposed War	Shiite Contents			War	Shiism
	5- Sougvari	Imposed War	Shiite Contents			War	Shiism
Mostafa Goudarzi	1- Gorosnegi	Revolution		Human Concepts		Revolution	Humanity
	2- Bombaran	Imposed War		Human Concepts		War	Humanity
	3- Anha qabl az Taballod Shahid Mishavand	Imposed War		Human Concepts		War	Humanity
	4- Hasrat	Revolution		Mystic		Revolution	Islam
	5- Milad	Revolution				Revolution

Table 3: Methods of Expression

Painter’s Name	Name of the Work	Main Technique	Other Techniques
Iraj Eskandari	1-Ayadat	Realism	Symbolism
	2- Mahtab	Realism	Symbolism
	3- Bombaran	Realism	Symbolism
	4- Motajavez	Symbolism	Cubism
	5- Hami-e Sheytan	Symbolism	Cubism
Kazem Chalipa	1- Iethar	Symbolism
	2- Yaqeen	Subjective Realism	Symbolism
	3- Khoun bar Shamshir Pirooz Ast	Symbolism	Abstractionism
	4- Moushakhai-e Sekke-Parast	Subjective Realism	Symbolism
	5- Kavir	Symbolism	Realism
Habibollah Sadeqi	1- Rami-e Jamarat	Realism	Symbolism
	2- Tashie-e Qoloub	Symbolism
	3- Chahe Vail	Symbolism
	4- Parkanan-e Moulana	Subjective Realism	Symbolism
	5- Hobout	Symbolism
Hamid Qadirian	1- Barekat	Realism
	2- Sazandegi	Symbolism	Symbolism
	3- Pousidegi	Symbolism
	4- Shahid	Subjective Realism
	5- Sougvari	Symbolism
Mostafa Goudarzi	1- Gorosnegi	Symbolism
	2- Bombaran	Symbolism
	3- Anha qabl az Taballod Shahid Mishavand	Symbolism
	4- Hasrat	Iranian Miniature
	5- Milad	Symbolism

Table 4: Analyzing the Dimensions of the Paintings

Area of the Painting	No.	Percentage Out of the Total Size
less than or equal to 10000	3	12
Between 10000 and 20000	12	48
Between 20000 and 30000	5	20
Between 30000 and 40000	2	8
More than 40000	3	12
Total	25	100

Table 5: Analyzing the Primary Themes

Primary Theme	No.	Percentage Out of the Total	Details
Islam	1	4
Shiism	0	0
Islamic Revolution	9	36
Imposed War	13	52
Palestine	0	0
Mysticism	2	8
Transcendental Human Concepts	0	0
Total	25	100

Table 6: Analyzing the Secondary Themes

Secondary Theme	No.	Percentage Out of the Total	Details
Islam	3	13.05	The Paintings (Eskandari 5), (Sadeqi 4), (Qadirian 3), and (Goudarzi 5) do not contain a secondary theme. The (Chalipa 1) and (Sadeqi 1) have two secondary themes.
Shiism	4	17.4
Revolution	2	8.7
Imposed War	2	8.7
Palestine	0	0
Mysticism	3	13.05
Human Concepts	9	39.15
Total	23	100

Table 7: Analyzing the Factors Affecting the Emergence of Themes

	The Factor Pertaining to the Primary Theme		The Factor Pertaining the Secondary Theme		Details
	No.	Percentage Out of Total	No.	Percentage Out of Total	Details
Islam	2	8	6	26.1
Shiism	0	0	4	17.4
Islamic Revolution	9	36	2	8.7
Imposed War	13	52	2	8.7
Iran	0	0	0	0
Humanity	1	4	9	39.15
Total	25	100	23	-------

Table 8: Analyzing the Methods of Expressing the Message

	Main Technique		Other Techniques		Details
	No.	Percentage Out of the Total	No.	Percentage Out of the Total	Details
Realism	5	20	2	16.67
Symbolism	15	60	7	58.33
Subjective Realism	4	16	0	0
Iranian Miniature	1	4	0	0
Coffee House Painting	0	0	0	0
Others	0	0	3	25
Total	25	100	12	100