Representation of the Characteristics of Iranian Miniature Painting in Western Art History

Introduction: Iranian miniature painting, as a significant artistic discipline in Iran, has been the subject of study since the 19th century, fueled by the growing interest of Western collectors and experts. Like all forms of painting, writing the history of this discipline relies on recognizing its characteristics and analyzing various artworks. Therefore, it is essential to explore the development of this branch of art history and revisit the foundations of what is often accepted as obvious today. This study aims at understanding how Western art historians have identified and interpreted the distinctive features of Iranian painting. By focusing on Western publications from 1876 to 1930, it examines how the diverse specialties of scholars influenced the production of this body of historical knowledge. The main question revolves around how the characteristics of Iranian Painting were identified, systematized, and explained within the context of Western art historyResearch Method: With a developmental goal, this qualitative research is based on literature review and library data collection. It describes, analyzes and interprets data found on the characteristics of Iranian Miniature in primary sources Western publications.Findings: The historiography of Iranian miniatures in this period has shifted from explaining visual features (such as the use of bright colors) to expressing qualitative features while the approaches of «objectification» and «artistic masterpiece» are present in all of the aforementioned studies regarding Iranian miniatures.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that understanding the characteristics and history of Iranian miniatures during this period is influenced by the diversity of specializations of its contributors.