Hossein Behzad

Mozaffar Shahedi

 

Master Hossein Behzad, son of Fazl-ol-lah Esfahani was born in 1894. His father was a skillful pencasemaker and watercolor painter. His father put him at Molla Ali's pencasemaking workshop. After a while, both his father and his master died because of cholera epidemic, and Hossein experienced a hard early youth. Later he became an apprentice to Mirza Hassan Peykar Negār, and showed a remarkable talent in miniature painting, especially in copying of old miniatures which were favoured by the European and Iranian dealers. He made masterly copies of the works of the most renowned and first ranking miniaturists of Safavid period, Kamaladdin Behzad and Reza Abbassi.

 

Working for many years in Department General of Archaeology and teaching miniature painting in the School of fine Arts, he created many artistic works such as: Eyvan Madaen (Madaen Veranda), Ferdowssi and the Heroes of Shahnameh, Ibne Sina in the bedside of lovesick (two paintings), the Owners of Black Gold, Hafez Shirazi, Midnights of Hafez, Nights of Hafez, Thoughts of Hakim AbouAli Sina, Fantasy, Two lovers, Moses and the Shepherd, Khayyam's advice (two paintings) rose girl (three paintings), Pleasant Dream, Bahram and Golandam, Look, Spring and Youth, Creation in Khayyam's Look, Coyness, Kaveh Ahangar's Insurrection, Asrare Azal (the mysteries of eternity), Khosrow Parviz, In the Search of Human, Human an Unfinished work, the Rebellion, Heaven and Hell, Coquetry and Khayyam.