Hossein Behzad | حسین بهزاد (Father: Mirza Fazlollah Esfahani; Spouse: Azizeh Khanoum) was recognized as the great innovator of 20th-century Iranian miniature painting, celebrated for single-handedly saving the traditional art form from fading into obscurity. Born in Tehran to a penner maker and watercolorist, Behzad faced early hardships and poverty, eventually apprenticing under traditional miniaturists. His early career focused on mastering and copying the works of Safavid-era masters such as Kamal ud-Din Behzad and Reza Abbasi, and his extraordinary skill soon earned him international attention.
A pivotal moment in Behzad’s career occurred in 1934 when he traveled to Paris for thirteen months. During this time, he studied classical Western painting and Eastern art collections at the Louvre, the Guimet Museum, and the Palace of Versailles. This exposure led him to pioneer a completely new idiom of miniature painting. He moved away from the crowded, highly decorative compositions of classical miniatures, introducing elements of Western perspective, shading, and anatomical proportion, while maintaining the delicate brushwork and poetic spirit of traditional Persian art.
Throughout the mid-20th century, Behzad achieved international acclaim. He served as a professor at the Tehran Academy of Fine Arts and worked for the Museum of Ancient Iran (Bastan Museum). His masterworks, which often took years to complete, were exhibited worldwide, from Paris and Washington D.C. to Tokyo and Brussels. Despite his global success, he remained deeply devoted to Iranian literature and culture, frequently illustrating the epics of Ferdowsi, Khayyam, and Hafez until his death in 1968.
Active in others filds :
Art Education (Professor at Tehran Academy of Fine Arts), Penner making (early career).
Notable Collaborations :
While Hossein Behzad was primarily a solitary painter, he collaborated extensively with major cultural and national institutions throughout his career. He was heavily involved with the Museum of Ancient Iran (Bastan Museum) and the Fine Arts Museum, and his work was sponsored internationally by diplomatic entities such as the French government for his 1955 Paris exhibition.
Hossein Behzad Legacy :
Hossein Behzad’s legacy is that of a visionary who bridged the gap between ancient Persian traditions and contemporary modernism. He freed the Persian miniature from strict imitation, allowing it to evolve into a living, modern art form. In recognition of his monumental impact on Iranian visual arts, his former home in Tehran was converted into a painting school, and the dedicated Behzad Museum was established in 1994 within Tehran’s Sa’dabad Complex to permanently house and honor his vast collection of masterpieces.
Selected Notable Works :
The Palace of Bahram (1943), Dreaming of the Beloved (1951), Polo (1952), The Youth of Hafez (1952), Fight between Rostam and Devil (1952), Rostam and Sohrab (1953), Ibn Sina (1950), Ferdowsi (1957), The Famine of 1916 (1961), Shirin and Farhad (1961)
Honors :
First-class medal of the Ministry of Culture of Iran (1949), Olympic Diploma for Best Painting at the 15th Olympiad in Helsinki (1952), Avicenna Medal from the Museum of Ancient Iran (1953), First-class medal of International Painting in Minneapolis USA (1958), Diploma of Honor from the Belgian International Exhibition (1958), Honorary title of Art Master by the Council of Art Instructors at the College of Decorative Arts (1968).
Exhibitions & Art Venues
Museum of Ancient Iran (Bastan Museum), Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, Library of Congress (Washington D.C.), Behzad Museum (Sa’dabad Complex), Olympic Painting Exhibition (Helsinki), Brussels International Exhibition, Fine Arts Museum (Tehran), Mehregan Club (Abadan)
