Tajikistan to publish bio of Iranian miniaturist

TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) -- A book comprising the biography of the Iranian miniaturist Hossein Behzad (1894–1968) is scheduled to be published in Tajikistan.

“Pain and Paint” will be released by the Slaviani University in Dushanbe on 13 October, which is the death anniversary of Behzad, the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency reported on Sunday.

The book, which has been compiled by Iranian scholar Mohammadreza Asadzadeh, also covers Behzad’s brief sojourn in the Tajikistan region.

Asadzadeh plans to deliver a lecture about his book during a festival in the Tajik city of Kharough in December.

Asadzadeh has authored the book based on Behzad’s sketches kept at the Majlis Library, Museum, and Documentation Center in Tehran.

Behzad was son of Fazlollah Esfahani, a prominent watercolor painter and pen case maker. He had a very painful childhood after his father died. However, he never gave up painting.

He is mostly famous for his innovations in Persian miniature painting. He created his works in large sizes. He also used shading for subjects in his works for the first time in this genre.

Behzad visited Europe and America several times and his paintings were showcased in several exhibits in the continents.

He imitated many paintings by the Iranian Safavid-era miniaturists Reza Abbasi and Kamaleddin Behzad, which were allegedly sold as originals by European collectors.

A number of his works are currently on display at the Behzad Museum in Tehran.