The Hands of the Musician 1988

Morteza Katouzian made this drawing, 'The Hands of the Musician,' with colored pencil on paper. The picture invites us to think about the role of art in Iranian society. We see the hands of an instrumentalist, yet the instrument is cropped out of the image. Katouzian’s hyper-realist style recalls the old masters. But what is it about this cultural moment that makes the artist focus our attention on the hands? The history of Iranian music is long and complex. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the new government severely restricted musical performances, especially for women. The image asks us to consider what it means to make music in a place where artistic expression is so controlled. To understand the nuances of this piece, we need to research Iranian social history, the history of censorship, and the place of the artist in Iranian culture. Art can be a powerful form of resistance, and the historian can help us decipher its meaning.