The Research on the effects of Achaemenid and Sassanid art drawing and motifs on the works of Majid Mehregan

Iranian art is an important historical phenomenon. This art, which had reached a high level in the early stages, succeeded in many fields and in various ways up to contemporary times. Meanwhile, Iranian art that dating back thousands of years is a precious supporter of contemporary artists. In that first human civilization, which appeared more than six thousand years ago on Iran, art was the essential element that played a role in the following periods and throughout the ages, it retained its distinctive features. The revival of ancient traditions in the contemporary world and its integration with the contemporary art, creates works of identity in the genuine Iranian culture. In these arts, artists were able to expand their artistic arts in various fields such as combinations and adornment in harmonious colors, with elegance and technical skill.
Here it should be notice that persian arts has always been symbolic and iconic in ancient times throughout the Islamic era. This is especially be seen in the works of the Achaemenids. What is more than seen in Achaemenid art is the attention to internal and spiritual issues.
Hence, in all aspects of design, including the design of humans, animals, plants, etc., there is considerable abstraction, and this is even seen in the details of the clothing and arrangement of beards and animal organs. In fact, with the understanding of the spiritual world and the realities of the objects, the artists have created a pink creation, beyond the material form, which, while displaying the nature of objects, also depicts the spiritual form.
In the Sassanid era, many of the effects of that era were restored due to the desire to return to the Achaemenid era, but the dominance of the Greek-Roman culture did not completely disappear. Because the Sassanid art was influenced by the Achaemenid era, it can even be seen in many ways that it has been mirroring and repeating the themes of that era.
In the Sassanid art, it should be noted that rock formations are the most important works of Sassanian design. Undoubtedly, these royal monuments have been made by skilled artists, and the form of fabrics in the Naghsh of Rustam and the design of a variety of woven fabrics in the Taghe Bostan, show that no attempt has been made in their execution.
Majid Mehregan, who is one of the contemporary persian painting artists, has created works inspired of ancient characteristics, more than other artists. His interest in this field has made his art a compilation of ancient Iranian art and the art of the Islamic era.
The purpose of this study is to determine the use of Mehregan from drawings and motifs used in Achaemenid and Sassanid works and its integration with Islamic painting. This article seeks to answer the following questions: How does the Mehregan use the features of drawings and pre-Islamic art, especially the Achaemenid and Sasanian, in his works? And which motifs and elements of Achaemenid and Sassanid art have been used in his works?
This paper also attempts to provide a brief overview of some of the features of design and motifs, especially from the pointview of the design of the organs of humans, animals, plants, and tools and implements of warfare and decoration in the Achaemenid and Sasanian periods as the introduction to the discussion. And then to study and analyze the works of Mehregan. It should be noted that in this study, those elements are discussed that Mehregan were inspired by pre-Islamic art and so the other elements and forms refused.
This article, which is conducted in a descriptive-analytical method, describes how Mehregan uses the drawings and motifs of the Achaemenid and Sasanian arts in his works. The method of collecting information is through a book, article, internet and pictures of his artwork. In this research, all of the available works of Mehregan have been considered as a statistical society and the statistical sample of this research includes those works that were influenced by pre-Islamic works.
The findings of the study showed that Mehregan uses the factors such as simplification of forms, the use of thick lines, using decorations and plant designs such as Lotus flowers and the use of animal design and implements of war under the influence of Achaemenid and Sassanid art, has been able to create a new language in the contemporary Iranian art and create works that reflect the compilation of pre-Islamic and Islamic era.