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What was the Isfahan school of miniature painting?

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Isfahan, Iran: Masjed-e Emām (“Imam Mosque”) — Isfahan Masjed-e Emām (“Imam Mosque”), Isfahan, Iran.

The Eṣfahān school was the final major school of Persian miniature painting, reaching its peak in the early 17th century under the patronage of the Safavid ruler Shah ʿAbbās I.1

The school’s leading master was Rezā ʿAbbāsī, whose work marked a departure from the illustrative themes that had dominated Persian painting for two centuries. Instead, the Eṣfahān school emphasized naturalistic subjects and portraiture, focusing on depictions of poets, musicians, courtiers, and aristocratic life.12

Key characteristics of the school include:
* Style: Figures are typically depicted as plump, effete, and highly stylized, reflecting the traditions of the late Safavid court.13
* Technique: Artists utilized a fluid, masterful line—a form of art that gained popularity in the Islamic world during this period—and employed expressionistic, nonrealistic coloring.13
* Subject Matter: Beyond courtly portraits, the school showed an increasing interest in genre scenes, capturing minor events of daily life with precision.2

Following the death of Rezā ʿAbbāsī, the school gradually lost its freshness, and miniature painting in Iran entered a period of decline.1