Journal of Razavi Culture

Abstract Reverse glass painting, as an ancient genre in Islamic art of Iran, with its unique combination of color and transparency, has served as a medium for narrating stories and conveying religious concepts within the Shiite context. In this regard, the representation of miracles and symbols associated with Imam Reza in reverse glass paintings holds particular significance. The artworks preserved in the Museum of Reverse Glass Painting in Tehran reflect diverse manifestations of such symbolic imagery in the form of halos of light, sacred footprints (Qadamgah), and animal motifs.
The aim of this study is to analyze the visual and semantic structures of symbols attributed to Imam Reza (A.S.) in seven selected paintings from the museum. The central research question asks: What symbolic reflections of Imam Reza are identifiable in the composition, color palette, and arrangement of animal and spatial elements in these artworks?
The research method is qualitative and follows a descriptive-analytical approach. Data were collected through library research and field observation, and analyzed using a semiotic-symbolic framework, focusing on the themes of “The Guardian of the Deer” (Zāmen-e Āhū) and the event of Imam Reza’s poisoning.
Findings reveal that the artists, through symmetrical arrangement of elements, symbolic use of colors, and the employment of halos and animal signs such as deer, camel, and wolf, reinforce concepts such as intercession, mercy, the contrast between sanctity and worldly threats, and the transcendence of time and space.
The convergence in visual structure alongside qualitative differences in execution highlights the variety of narrative techniques and emphasizes multiple layers of meaning.
Analyzing these symbols not only unveils the depth of meaning in the artworks but also facilitates understanding the cultural and religious significance of reverse glass painting in conveying Shiite teachings, particularly in relation to the lofty status and character of Imam Reza .

Abstract   Panofsky is one of the most important researchers of the iconology approach.Iconology examines the meaning of the artwork.Panofsky distinguished three levels of meaning(pre-iconographic description,iconographic analysis,iconographic interpretation).in the reading of works of art the two painting of Imam Reza’s footsteps and the saving of people in the sea by him are fromTahmasabi’s Falnama,which was commissioned by Shah Tahmasib Safavi.The Safavids attributed their lineage to Imam Kazem.they paid special attention to his son,Imam Reza who played an important role in the influence of Shiism in Iran.The purpose of the  research is how to read the iconology of two paintings related to Imam Reza in Tahmasabi’s Falnama with Panofsky’s opinions.This research seeks to answer these questions, how is the iconology analysis of these two painting with Panofsky’s opinions?Considering the cultural and religious context of Shah Tahmasab period,what are the structural and visual characteristics of two paintings? What fundamental values of the period of Tahmasab do the iconologic analysis of these two paintings reveal?This research is conducted in a qualitative and comparative-analytical manner and the method of collecting materials is done in a library manner and with an iconology approach.it seems that the painter in the image of the steps by using the form of a footstool in the mihrab, is simultaneously reminding the three steps associated with the Muslim Qibla and, as a result, the principles of Shiite Islam,monotheism,prophecy and imamate.It is also a document because in that period,the footprints in Nishabur were the expression of the footsteps of Imam Reza.In the second painting the painter portrays Tahmasab in the form of Imam Reza the promoter of Shia in Iran, and refers to the incident of Humayun Gorkani’s request for help from Tahmasab.Finally subconsciously it refers to the fundamental values of Tahmasb’s period which are the important Shiite principles and the emphasis onTahmasb’s legitimacy

Abstract Mahmoud Khan Malek al-Shoʿará is a painter and one of the masters of the painting art of the Qājār era in the field of recording urban and historical works. His works have a geometrical proportion and a very precise perspective influenced by Mahmoud Khan's knowledge of mathematics and geometry. The purpose of this research is to study the structural analysis of Mahmoud Khan's painting from the ʿAtīq courtyard of Imam Riḍā (as) as his oldest known oil painting, and also the structural investigation of the features of this painting as a historical document of the ʿAtīq courtyard during the Qājār era. The main questions in this research are as follows: 1. How are the visual and structural features of the ʿAtīq courtyard of Imam Riḍā (as) shrine worked in the work of Mahmoud Khan Malek al-Shoʿará? 2. How is the composition and divisions of the work displayed in the south porch and the clock porch? This research was descriptive, analytical, and collected information in the form of documents (library). The method of analyzing the works is based on the examination of the visual principles and rules used in ʿAtīq courtyard painting. The findings of this research show that Mahmoud Khan Malek al-Shoʿará, one of the great artists and a pioneer in the field of modern painting in Iran during the Qājār era, has recorded the oldest courtyard of the shrine in the Qājār rule period with paintings, and in this work, he has pointed out the exact details that today, according to the changes over time, introduce us to the architecture of that time in the ʿAtīq courtyard. This old work is a documentary painting of Imam Riḍā's shrine during the Qājār era from the ʿAtīq courtyard, and in that painting, the correct perspective, subjectivity, and artistic creativity can be seen.