The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar

An Examination of the Tradition of Model Re-creation in Iranian-Islamic Painting Based on the Miniatures of “The Kneeling Youth”

https://doi.org/10.22034/bagh.2025.548634.5906
Volume 22, Issue 152
February 2026
Pages 73-86
The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Kamran Sokhanpardaz 1
Parisa Sahafiasl 2

1 Department of Islamic History and Islamic Arts, Graduate Institute, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey

2 Turkish Traditional Arts Department, Faculty of Fine Arts, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey

Abstract
Problem statement: In the Iranian-Islamic painting tradition, re-creating the masterpieces of renowned masters was a widespread practice that enabled the transmission of style and the continuity of artistic schools. Among the most remarkable examples is the archetype “The Kneeling Youth,” which artists have recreated creatively from the Safavid period to the present. This study explores how such re-creations of canonical works can be understood within the tradition of model re-creation in Iranian-Islamic painting.
Research objective: This research aims to investigate the re-created versions of the archetype “The Kneeling Youth” and to analyse their position within the tradition of model re-creation in Iranian-Islamic painting. The ultimate goal is to uncover the aesthetic, pedagogical, and conceptual reasons underlying this sustained artistic practice.
Research method: The study employs a descriptive–analytical approach. Re-created versions of the archetype are identified, documented, and examined through stylistic and thematic comparisons. Data are collected through documentary and library-based sources.
Conclusion: The examination of “The Kneeling Youth” miniatures demonstrates that model re-creation in the Iranian-Islamic painting tradition, contrary to interpretations derived from modern Western art theory, was not a mere mechanical repetition of earlier works. Instead, it represented a creative, dialogical, and pedagogical process involving continuous interaction between the artist, the master, and the artistic tradition. These re-creations functioned as dynamic vehicles for reinterpretation and renewal, facilitating the transmission of visual styles, aesthetic values, and symbolic meanings. While maintaining the essential compositional framework, each version introduced subtle innovations in colour, design, and ornamentation, reflecting the artist’s creativity and intellectual engagement with inherited forms. This tradition emphasises the role of artistic workshops as centres of education, experimentation, and the refinement of creative expression within Iranian-Islamic art.

Keywords

Art, Iranian&ndash
Islamic Painting, Tradition of model re-creation, Isfahan School,&ldquo
Kneeling Youth&rdquo
Miniatures
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