Studying the Representation of Personality in the Figure painting of Sani-Ol-Molk

Abolhassan Ghaffari Kashani, known as Sania Ol-Molk, is a well-known figure painter of the Qajar era and one of the pioneers of realistic portraiture. In drawing the figure, he has used innovative and unique methods inspired by Iranian idealistic art and European realist art. One of the special features of Sani Ol-Molk’s figure paintings is his special attention to representing the inner qualities and mental characteristics of individuals; a feature that has not been common in Persian painting before. The purpose of the present study is to identify and retrieve this feature in his artworks. The most important question that forms the basis of this study is How is the representation of personality in Sani-Ol-Molk’s figure painting and What kind of visual arrangements has the artist used to better display these features? Accordingly, by selecting samples of the Sani-Ol-Molk’s figure paintings, the descriptive-analytical method, how the representation of characters and their internal characteristics, are studied. The results of the study show that the issue of paying attention to the hidden and intrinsic aspects, as well as paying attention to the facial features of the individuals, has been of great importance to the artist. In displaying these traits, he judges his own beliefs and mental thoughts of the characters, and with the help of a series of visual measures such as valuing some of the effective elements on the face, the particular emphasis on parts of the body parts as well as changes in the dimensions and proportions of the body and clothing have shaped each person’s inner traits in his or her face and body. Thus when the audience of the artist’s works stands in front of these paintings, he understands features like dignity and decency, humility and eloquence, power and pride, trick and crafty which are the reflection of the artist’s point of view and opinion about the characters, from their appearance.