Kamaladdin Behzad (East Azerbaijan)

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Kamaladdin Behzad (East Azerbaijan)

Kamaladdin Behzad, an Iranian painter, was born around 870 A.H. in the city of Herat. Historical texts describe him as follows: "The rare gem of his time and a marvel of the era, the master Behzad, hailing from the Court of Herat. The master of the time is His Highness the Behzad, who bestowed artistic talents upon the world; Rarely, like Mani, born from the mother of time, I swear, Behzad is better-born than him." In his childhood, Behzad lost his parents and was taken in and raised by Mirak, who was the librarian of Sultan Hussein Mirza. Mirak played a significant role in shaping Behzad's mental, religious, cultural, and artistic foundations. Khwaja Mirak was skilled in calligraphy, penmanship, illumination, engraving, and painting. Behzad received artistic education under Mirak's guidance. As Mirak held the position of librarian to Sultan Hussein Mirza, Behzad had access to numerous resources and books, providing him with opportunities for study, practice, and copying the works of previous artists. Around the age of twenty, Behzad established himself as a talented painter and quickly gained fame. He caught the attention of Amir Ali Shir Navai and Sultan Hussein Mirza, which led to much envy among others. (Amir Ali Shir Navai is one of the prominent cultural figures, artists, and capable politicians of the Timurid era.) Owning the great calligraphers’ royal library positions through his fame, he caused a lot of disputes. On the other hand, with his rise to power, Behzad devoted all his joys and sorrows to the training of painters. He had all the necessary resources at his disposal to create a transformation and revival (Renaissance) in Herat's painting. This important transformation required two key elements, both of which Behzad possessed: financial resources and necessary support provided by Sultan Hussein Mirza and others, and having the required human resources for education, training, and guiding his thoughts. His era was a remarkable period, as Khorasan, and particularly Herat, was populated by talented individuals. Everyone took on their respective roles, and his goal and aspiration were to execute each task with perfection, causing his people to become more famous than beautiful gardens and palaces. The characteristics of Behzad's paintings are as follows: 1. Humans play the main role in his works. 2. A vivid presence of nature and architecture. 3. Utilization of thuluth script. 4. The exclusion of non-Iranian elements, such as Mongolian, Chinese, Byzantine, and Arab, in faces and their Iranianization. Kamaladdin Behzad passed away in 942 A.H.

 


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