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Lot Essay
INSCRIBED:
Signed ya Baqir al-'Ulum 1173
Muhammad Baqir was a highly skilled artist who was active from the 1740s to the 1800s and was celebrated for his versatility in various mediums such as oil, watercolour, lacquer, enamel, and murals. He was part of a group of talented artists including Muhammad Sadiq and Mirza Baba. These artists left a lasting impact on Persian arts during the Zand and Qajar periods, influencing the next generation of artists and decorative vocabulary. Muhammad Baqir was also regarded as one of the principle exponents of life-size painting and has been mentioned as such in an account called Rustam al-Hukama by Muhammad Asaf which covers artists active in the period between 1796-1835.
This mesmerizing portrait by Muhammad Baqir is arguably his best oil painting, with a wonderfully alluring and subtly drawn face. It is also significant as it was painted during the reign of Karim Khand Zand (r.1751-79), and possibly made for him, as suggested by Falk (S.J Falk, Qajar Paintings, London, 1972, pp.25-26, fig.7). Falk also refers to our painting as one of the three Zand archetypes, one of the others of which is signed by Muhammad Sadiq and the third apparently not signed (Falk, op. cit., p.25, figs.7-9). Our painting adheres to the Persian beauty ideal with its attention to detail on the subject's rose-bud lips, pointed chin, eyes, and dark brown hair. The painting's sensual pose and the gentle and sweet emotions conveyed through the subject's facial features are typical of Muhammad Baqir’s style. The richly patterned textiles and two-dimensional subject further distinguish this masterpiece of the Zand era. Muhammad Baqir has used the religious formula, Ya Baqir al-Ulum (revealer of knowledge), as his signature on this work. This title was given to the 5th Shia Imam, al-Baqir because of his ample religious and judicial knowledge and his enthusiasm to teach others.
Muhammad Baqir was also a very accomplished artist in enamel. Amongst the artist's other works are a splendid covered bowl, saucer and spoon, now in the Ashmolean Museum, which is decorated with the signs of the zodiac, the planets and astrological figures and inscribed with dedicatory verses to Fath 'Ali Shah (Layla Diba, Royal Persian Paintings. The Qajar Epoch 1785-1925, no.62, pp.211-212). He also decorated a teapot enamelled with bust portraits of Fath 'Ali Shah and floral swags, now amongst the Persian Crown Jewels in the Central Bank of Iran, Tehran ('Qajar Painted Enamels', in B.W. Robinson, Studies in Persian Art, vol. I, London, 1993, fig.122, p.309). B.W. Robinson describes Baqir as "one of Fath 'Ali Shah's ablest court artists in enamel" and his work as "meticulous and highly accomplished" (Robinson, op.cit., p.300).
Signed ya Baqir al-'Ulum 1173
Muhammad Baqir was a highly skilled artist who was active from the 1740s to the 1800s and was celebrated for his versatility in various mediums such as oil, watercolour, lacquer, enamel, and murals. He was part of a group of talented artists including Muhammad Sadiq and Mirza Baba. These artists left a lasting impact on Persian arts during the Zand and Qajar periods, influencing the next generation of artists and decorative vocabulary. Muhammad Baqir was also regarded as one of the principle exponents of life-size painting and has been mentioned as such in an account called Rustam al-Hukama by Muhammad Asaf which covers artists active in the period between 1796-1835.
This mesmerizing portrait by Muhammad Baqir is arguably his best oil painting, with a wonderfully alluring and subtly drawn face. It is also significant as it was painted during the reign of Karim Khand Zand (r.1751-79), and possibly made for him, as suggested by Falk (S.J Falk, Qajar Paintings, London, 1972, pp.25-26, fig.7). Falk also refers to our painting as one of the three Zand archetypes, one of the others of which is signed by Muhammad Sadiq and the third apparently not signed (Falk, op. cit., p.25, figs.7-9). Our painting adheres to the Persian beauty ideal with its attention to detail on the subject's rose-bud lips, pointed chin, eyes, and dark brown hair. The painting's sensual pose and the gentle and sweet emotions conveyed through the subject's facial features are typical of Muhammad Baqir’s style. The richly patterned textiles and two-dimensional subject further distinguish this masterpiece of the Zand era. Muhammad Baqir has used the religious formula, Ya Baqir al-Ulum (revealer of knowledge), as his signature on this work. This title was given to the 5th Shia Imam, al-Baqir because of his ample religious and judicial knowledge and his enthusiasm to teach others.
Muhammad Baqir was also a very accomplished artist in enamel. Amongst the artist's other works are a splendid covered bowl, saucer and spoon, now in the Ashmolean Museum, which is decorated with the signs of the zodiac, the planets and astrological figures and inscribed with dedicatory verses to Fath 'Ali Shah (Layla Diba, Royal Persian Paintings. The Qajar Epoch 1785-1925, no.62, pp.211-212). He also decorated a teapot enamelled with bust portraits of Fath 'Ali Shah and floral swags, now amongst the Persian Crown Jewels in the Central Bank of Iran, Tehran ('Qajar Painted Enamels', in B.W. Robinson, Studies in Persian Art, vol. I, London, 1993, fig.122, p.309). B.W. Robinson describes Baqir as "one of Fath 'Ali Shah's ablest court artists in enamel" and his work as "meticulous and highly accomplished" (Robinson, op.cit., p.300).