During 15th century, the miniature paintings in contemporary Persia and Turkey were characterized by a forcefulness and realism. It was unlike their predecessors. At this time some of the masters of miniature paintings had begun putting their signatures on their works. It was the time of master painter Bihzad, (1440-1514). His style was more dramatic and intense than his contemporaries. He chose individuals, their characters, and their affairs of everyday life as subject matter of his miniature paintings. The liveliness embedded in each character painted in the frames of Bihzad is quite artistic.
Though the Miniature painting was a prominent art since 13th century, it was on peak during 15th and 16th centuries. In Persia during the last years of fourteenth century, there had emerged a school of miniature painting known as Shiraz. During this period the artists used brilliant colours. Their landscapes were elegantly painted. One novel feature of perception is visible in the paintings of this period, depicting freely drawn birds, flowers in margins, and figures and their faces shown clearly. This painting style illustrates realistic turn of the art of painting in Persia.
The Shiraz School of later 14th century Persia is distinguished by its brilliance of coloring and presence of gorgeous landscapes; by the frequent inclusion of freely drawn bird and flower motifs in the margins; and by faces and figures with rounded contours. These faces had fine lines, narrow eyes, and rather characteristic sideways glances. A newly applied technique of vertical perspective is evident wherein the figures and objects are shown one over another. However the paintings of the ponds and carpets still were painted as flat figures.
The symbolic decorative basis of Persian painting is fully apparent in the paintings of 15th century. The flowers bask in the brilliance of daylight while the stars shine in sky. It was masterly combination of the style of realism with symbolism. The artists were completely unbounded by practicality of naturalism, yet the approach of theory remained completely comprehensible.
Miniatures of this period many a time utilized a new aide for producing perspective: the inclusion of hills and other natural elements in the background. Scenes were frequently staged on what appears to be the edge of a precipice, with horizon indicated by a sudden drop in landscape. Figures in extreme background look as if they are climbing up an inevitable hill behind, their heads and shoulders appearing over the imaginary horizon. This is the real beauty of paintings done by master painter Bihzad.
Source : ezinearticles
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