Jilvah-i hunar (Nov 2018)
A Comparative Study of Reflection Approach in Figurative Paintings of Nader Shah and Napoleon
Abstract
During Nader Shah sovereignty, civil and foreign wars happened, which affected the status of art, especially painting. About half a century after these wars, France deals with a great revolution which influences all Europe and leads to short kingdom of "Napoleon" which is accompanied by great territorial expansion. According to mentioned political similarities during almost identical periods of time and by confirmation of the fact that art contents resembling the flows of thoughts of the current time, there must be similarities in arts of both territories despite stylistic differences. Thereafter, this research is supposed to find an answer to the question "What similarities in formal structure of their figurative paintings are the result of similar militarism and policies of "Nader Shah" and Napoleon"? In following, we willanalyzes formal structural components of eight figurative paintings of Nader Shah and Napoleon in expository manner by using reflection approach in sociology. The main purpose of authors of this article is to focus on similarities of these artworks. One of the necessities of this research is neglecting of art in Afsharid era. While comparative tradition can suggest cultural proximity which can confirm possible values. By using analytic method, this research indicates that Afsharid erapainters of Iran government created 2D and 3D spaces by using traditional art principles including distributed lightening, formal configuration and ornamenting. In west, Napoleon gave recognition to Neoclassical Art and emphasized on referring to ancient Rome values. However, power and wealth led to portrayal of kings in both territories with depiction of carbuncled arrays in order to induce their wealth. As a result, Iran and France had different approaches in nature drawing. Nevertheless, in this era they are similar in their artistic background and their emphasis on ornamentation due to extreme emphasis on portrayal of royal glory.
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