Riza Abbasi (1565 - 1635) was one of the most renowned Persian painters, who flourished during the Safavid period.
Life
He is considered one of the foremost Persian painters of all time. He received his training in the atelier of his father, Ali Asghar, and was received into the workshop of Shah Abbas I at a young age.
At the age of 38 he received the honorific title of "Abbasi" from his patron, but soon left the shah's employ, apparently seeking greater freedom to associate with simple people. In 1610 he returned to the court and continued in the employ of the shah until his death.
His Art
His specialty was the Persian miniature and one of the recurrent themes in his opus is the image of the beautiful young man, and occasionally homoerotically charged arrangements. These were done to please his principal patron, shah Abbas I who was renowned for his love of handsome boys, a love celebrated in much of the palace art created for him by his workmen and artists.
Today his surviving works can be found in many of the major museums of the western world, such as the Smithsonian, the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
External Links
Last updated: 10-12-2005 08:45:32
