Iconography and Iconology of Female Portraiture in the Mural Paintings of the Painting Room at Golestan Palace

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master of Islamic Art, Faculty of Arts & Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Painting, Faculty of Arts, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

10.30480/vaa.2025.5594.1954

Abstract

Qajar painting is recognized as a turning point in the history of Iranian art, with one of its innovations being the prominence of female portraiture and figural depictions. This research examines the reasons behind the significant presence of female imagery in the art of the Qajar era, specifically through a study of women's portraits in the eastern chamber of the Marble Throne Veranda in Golestan Palace (known as the "Painting Room"). Among the paintings in this chamber, ten distinct female portraits were selected and analyzed as research samples.
The study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology, with data collected through documentary and library research (a significant portion of visual documentation was photographed by the researchers). For the analysis of the samples, Erwin Panofsky's iconographic and iconological method was employed—an appropriate approach for interpreting images by referencing textual sources and the contextual background of the artworks.
The qualitative, iconological analysis of the samples revealed that, contrary to previous studies which interpreted the abundance of female imagery in Qajar painting as indicative of women's elevated social status, these depictions primarily served as decorative motifs to showcase the court's splendor and the king's possessions. The tendency toward realism—a characteristic of Qajar painting influenced by Western art—was not used to represent reality but rather to materialize an idealized vision of feminine beauty.

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