A Semiotic Analysis of Female Portraits, by Ali Asghar Masoumi, Based on Umberto Eco’s Theory of Visual Codes

The knowledge of semiology is focused on the process of defining a composition. The female portraits represented by Ali Asghar Masoumi triggers the visual and discoursal demonstration in the observers’ mind; leading to a deeper understanding of the paint-ings. This article investigates and analyzes the definition behind female portraits and adjusts the meanings accordingly. Based on Umberto Eco’s theory, the research aims to respond to two main questions: “what conversations have the signs on these portraits started?” and “which instance the deepest signs in these portraits are being shared?” aiming to further analyze the signs implemented in Masoumi’s work based on Eco’s visu-al code theory. The research showcases the female portraits in a gendered, and icono-graphic spectrum, affected and engrained by cultural and traditional values. The layered semiotics and visual codding leads the onlooker to maintain a unique interpretation of the implementations. This article has been conducted by descriptive analysis and library research method.