Abstract:

The rapid change of the 17th century became the most prominent culture of Europe after the Renaissance revolution. This happened even in the eastern countries where the European population is intense. In this century, the Silk Road, which is the old route of the caravans, gradually lost importance. The sea routes to the eastern countries, intense trade relations, the frequent trips of Europeans to the Eastern countries and the fusion of Western and Eastern cultures seriously affected the local culture and arts in the regions. Western art products have come to the East largely through various; political, religious and commercial delegations from Europe. In particular, the groups that published Christianity had many pictorial books with themselves. Most of the gravures and western-based book pictures has been applied to the walls of the newly built palaces and 37 churches in Isfahan. The theme of the pictures from the West is mainly; the biblical scenes, European style clothes, classical landscapes, medallions and European portraits of kings and queens. The fascinating effect of these paintings attracted Safavid shahs. Many western products entering the palace archives have introduced Iranian artists closely with Western art. Painters brought from Europe, with their works in Iran, they transmitted the latest discoveries of Renaissance and later Baroque and Flemish art to Iran. It was recorded at least 10 European painters that worked in the Safavid palaces. Western paintings were also of interest in society and art products of Western origin were sold at the Isfahan bazaar and circulated around the globe. In this period, Iranian painters focused more and more on naturalist paintings. The other phenomenon that caused western products to increase in Iran was related to India and the friendship of the Gurkani and Safavid shahs. There has been reciprocal artist exchange or service purchase between the two states and this situation caused intense artistic interaction between the two states. Shah I. and II. Abbas and Shah Suleiman's artistic favors and admiration for European paintings have formalized the settlement of Western styles. After 1650, the traditional painting style lost its resistance power in front of western style and a new paint called "Ferengisazi" emerged. It was determined that more Flemish style engravings and paintings, were taken as models in the western style works of local artists.

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