كارستان هنري آقا نجفعلي

The life and achievements of Najaf Ali Isfahani

مهم ترين نكته اي كه در اين جستار ذهن نگارنده را به خود واداشته بود، اين بود كه آقا نجفعلي نقاشباشي دربار قاجار، برخلاف تصور شماري از هنرپژوهان، برادر محمد اسماعيل اصفهاني و يا فرزند ميرزا بابا اصفهاني نبود بلكه با توجه به بعضي از قراين و شواهد و بويژه سند ازدواج دخترش شهربانو ملقب به صفيه سلطان، بنظر مي رسد كه فرزند كهتر محمد باقر، نقاش دوره زنديه و اوايل قاجاريه، بوده كه نزدِ يكي از دوستان محمد باقر يعني محمد صادق، هنر نقاشي لاكي و تذهيب و رنگ روغن را فرا مي گيرد. او از آنجا كه پدرش محمد باقر در دربار فتح عليشاه كار مي كرده، وارد امور هنري دربار مي شود و از قرار معلوم در دوره محمد شاه به لقب نقاشباشي دست مي يابد و كار هنري او بيشتر آثار لاكي از قبيل قلمدان سازي و قاب آينه و غيره بوده تا اوايل دوره ناصرالدين شاه ادامه مي يابد . نگارنده با توجه به سه اشاره و يا اطلاعاتي كه در منابع آمده با شيوه استقرايي و امعان نظر به سه فرآيند وصف، ارزيابي و تحليل، به بازسازي زندگي هنري او پرداخت و در پي اثبات فرضيه ياد شده برآمد و تلاش كرد تا بطور مستند به دواعي مطرح شده در فرضيه دست يابد.

The family of Najaf Ali Isfahani were unique in Safawid and Qajar Periods. No family has played a more prominent role in the painting of court life as more as Najaf Ali’s Family. Najaf Ali in recognition of his work in Lacquer painting was foremost among the lacquer painters. Under Afsharid and Zand periods, lacquer works further developed and Ali Ashraf was one of prominent painters in this manufacture. Muhammad Baqir was one of his pupil in lacquerworks and many of his works known examples of Afsharid and Zand periods. One of Muhammad Baqir’sson was Najaf Ali Isfahani. Najaf Ali was pupil of Muhammad Sadiq, another celebrated lacquerer and friend of Muhammad Baqir. From their works one can ascertain the excellence of the lacquerworks made during this period. In their lacquerworks designs was bold and superabundance of small detail of flowers that characterized lacquerworks of his periods.Under Qajar period, style of Farangisazi(Europeanized style) was accepted by painters and developed in lacquerworks. Many fine pieces of lacquer known from early Qajar era. This pieces was made by court painters as Najaf Ali, which was laureate painter(Naggashbashi) of Qajar court. Marked featured of his works are improved methods of lacquer, especially an attractive from design in which beautifully written poems are interwoven with patterns. In this prespect he was rather like many of Persian lacquerers Qajar court. «YaShah-i Najaf» was signature of Najaf Ali which can mean both Imam Ali, first Imams of Shiite religion, and his name Najaf Ali. All painter of 12th century had multiple signatures depending on their patron, teacher and one of holy Imam name. Three biographical sketches about Najaf Ali came in three records. 1.in Benjamin «Persia and the Persian»; 2.in the letters of Schafier; 3. In the married Qabalah of his daughter, Sabiyah Sultan. Meeting these three records and works of Najaf Ali, I proposed to make to his biography in this paper research. In my opinion, which was arise from married Qabalah record, Najaf Ali was son of Muhammad Baqir(the eminent painter of Zand and Qajar periods) not son of Aqa Baba, the painter, which Robinson and others proposed. Then he was the celebrated laureate painter(Naqqashbashi) of Muhammad Shah Qajar. He had three sons: Kazim, Ja’far and Ahmad which were talented artists in lacquerworks. Najaf Ali was most prolific of Persian painters. Benjamin who was American consul in Persia in the 1880s, formed the impression that he was one of the most noted painters of Qajar era and pupil of Muhammad Sadiq. He announced that Muhammad Taqi, one of the celebrated painter and Muddahib in Bazzar of Tehran his pupil. Works of Najaf Ali included of Qalamdans, Mirror-cases, boxes, covers and so on. These have a highly original design of girls and cupids amongst a mass of vegetation and lovely birds and flowers of excellent quality.