Roman 1957

Hossein Behzad made this painting called ‘Roman’ using delicate brushstrokes and an intriguing color palette of peach, blue, and cream. I can imagine the artist, perhaps in a state of quiet contemplation, carefully applying thin layers of paint, building up the figure and the surrounding space. The smoothness of the surface, the way the colors blend almost seamlessly, speaks to a meticulous, deliberate process. There’s a softness to the light that suggests a dreamlike quality. I wonder if Behzad was thinking about the passage of time or the weight of history when they made this? Maybe they were looking back to the work of past miniaturists and the kind of illumination and care that goes into such artforms. I notice the detail in the man’s robes and the book, and the fur trim with the repeating geometric patterns, which looks so different from what I do with painting! I see a deep respect for the subject. Isn’t it amazing how artists across time inspire and inform one another's creativity?