Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
acf-field
acf-field-group
auction
Filter by Categories
August 2021
Dec 2023
Jan 2018
Jan 2019
Jan 2020
Jan 2021
Jan 2022
Jan 2024
July 2019
July 2022
July 2023
Jun 2018
تصویری
خبر و رسانه

76    Hassan Zaringhalam (1863-1929)

List Of Lots

More Info

Art Title : Untitle

Signature: “hasan Zaringhalam 1315” in Farsi (centre)
mixed media on cardboard
45×51 cm
Executed in 1897

Estimated

600 - 800 Million IRR

Price realized

2,600,000,000 IRR

About Art Work

The present work inscribed “Oh Ali, Help us! Thou Lord of the Dervish!” shows the origin of modern Persian calligraphy-painting to substantiate the historic significance and artistic roots of this popular genre of Iranian contemporary art. Its history goes back at least to the middle of 13th century A.H., more than a century ago, embracing creative endeavors of Iranian calligraphers of the time who exquisitely combined painterly elements and visual leitmotifs with Persian calligraphy.

A large number of contemporary works of calligraphy-painting are considered an extension of experiments that are known as “fancy calligraphy” in calligraphic tradition. The word “fancy” shows the borderline between classic calligraphy as an arduous craft, and entertaining plays with calligraphic forms. One of these entertaining practices in which, Iranian painter, poet, calligrapher, and illustrator of the Qajar period, Hassan Zaringhalam, was skillful was a calligraphic style known as Golzar. When a calligraphic script such as Nasta’liq is written in a large size (jali), while inside the large bold letters, words and thick lines is designed by flowers, leaves, and buds, what is produced is called Golzar.[1] In Golzar script, mostly used for religious and Shiite contents, decorative elements around the letters move onto the black lines of scripts so that it is not clear if the painting is producing scripts or vice versa. This movement causes arabesque and decorative designs to migrate to the center of work – where thick lines were initially supposed to appear – and margins are designed by scripts. These include scripts produced by fine point of the pen – Naskh, Thuluth, cursive and Ta’liq that sometimes intrude into the inner space of larger scripts. Not only does a calligrapher need to be a skilled painter but he must possess a vast knowledge of calligraphic scripts and styles. This was what Hassan Zaringhalam could masterfully achieve. He had a full command of seven styles of writing and decorative Tuqra; he would combine scripts and draw religious images inside the combination. What draws attention in Golzar script is the omission of gaps between patterns, arabesque designs, and portraits and figures with Nasta’liq script; a script that because of its formal curves and geometric ratios is closer to decorative images of the nature and human figure compared to other Islamic scripts. Generally, there is an interconnection between stylized figures of Persian painting and abstract form of scripts that have inherited beauty standards from the geometry of human figure. Golzar script emphasizes this proximity by bringing them even closer together. The result is a smooth texture of curved patterns in warm colors that calls to mind the beauty of Persian rugs.

Hassan Zaringhalam is one of the most prominent figures of “fancy calligraphy”, a main source of inspiration for Iranian modern calligraphy-painting. He also composed poetry. A scrapbook (Muraqa) written in Nasta’liq, Naskh, Thuluth, Ta’liq, Tuqi’, Tuqra and cursive scripts, 1301 A.H.; Hassan Zaringhalam 1312, 1311, 1309, 1306; A Servant of the Court of Naseredin Shah, Hassan Zaringhalam, an admirer of Naseredin Shah; Writing and Practice … Hassan Zaringhalam, 1307 A.H.; and Month of Rajab 1314 A.H. Hassan Zaringhalam, during Mozafaredin Shah Reign are but a few of his works.[2]


[1] Ghelichkhani, Hamid Reza, Encyclopedia of Calligraphy Terminology
[2] Karimzadeh Tabrizi, Mohammad Ali, Biography and Works of Iranian Painters of the Past, Mostufi Publishing, Tehran, 1997, p.153