Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) - Ajand's book holds the realities of Kamal-ol-Molk's life

"Kamal-ol-Molk", the 13th volume of Iranian artistic dignitaries, has been penned by Yaghob Ajand and released by Sahami company- an affiliate to Amir Kabir publications.

IBNA: Several books and articles have been penned on Kamal-ol-Molk's life and works. Moreover many history books and Iran's artistic schools hold detailed chapters about the noted artist, however besides all these sources late Ali Hatami's film, Kamal-ol-Molk, should be added as well.

Kamal-ol-Molk's impact on Iranian painting is irrefutable, accordingly the myriad researches about his life and art isn’t surprising. On the other hand the works fail to hold the realities of Kamal-ol-Molk and his works are never ever criticized.

It seems that Yaghob Ajand has tried to spot light on the realities on Kamal-ol-Molk's life; which indeed has made the book unique.

The book holds 6 chapters including "Biography", "Foreign trip", "Returning back to Iran", "Establishment of School of Fine Arts (Mostazrafe)", "Kamal-ol-Molk in Hossein Abad of Neishabur" and "Criticizing Kamal-ol-Molk".

The first chapter holds documentaries about the artist's life since his birth time as well as the names of his father and ancestors. The 2nd chapter is about the incidents of Kamal-ol-Molk's trip which other books fail to have. One of the incidents is his marriage with Anna, the daughter of Nariman Khan Qawam-al-Salṭana, an Iranian-Armenian Minister Plenipotentiary of Iran to Vienna. He was too busy in his journey spending most of his time in museums making copies of the old masters, such as Rembrandt’s Saint Matthew and the Angel and Titian’s Entombment of Christ (Louvre Museum).

The 3rd chapter is about his return and the main part of the book is the last chapter in which the artistic feature of Kamal-ol-Molk is evaluated. He was fond of western art particularly naturism.

Mohammad Ghaffari(1847-18 August 1940), better known as Kamal-ol-Molk is a widely acclaimed Iranian painter of the European academic style during the late Qajar and early Pahlavi periods. He descended from a family that had produced a number of artists since the Afsharid period, including his paternal great-grandfather, Mirza Abu’l-Hasan Mostawfi, a court painter during the reign of Nader Shah Afshar (r. 1736-47) and Karim Khan Zand.

"Kamal-ol-Molk" a book by Yaghob Ajand has been released in 121 pages holding the pictures of his works as well.