User:Pickwickwoop/Mohammad Zaman

Muhammad Zaman ibn Haji Yusuf Qumi, known as Mohammad Zaman (fl. 1660 – c. 1700), was a famous Safavid calligrapher and painter.

Life
'''Mohammad Zaman was born in Kerman, Persia to Haji Yusuf, and he received his education in Tabriz. For his great intelligence, he was sent by Shah Abbas II of Persia to Rome to study Italian painting, and there he converted to Christianity. In his conversion he took the name of Paul and became Paolo Zaman. When he returned to Persia he was forced to flee to India because of his conversion to Christianity. In India, he became a refugee, or mansabdar, and obtained the protection of the Mughul dynasty under the emperor Shah Jahan and later Dara Shikoh. He lived mostly in Kashmir, but was invited to go to Dehli with other mansabdars by the Aurangzeb. In Dehli around the year 1660 CE, he met Niccolao Manucci, a Venetian traveler who wrote accounts of the Mughal rule. Mohammad Zaman returned to Persia around the years 1672-73 and embraced Islam once again. After reestablishing his reputation and making the Islamic pilgrimage, he received the title of "haji" like his father. He then worked in the city of Isfahan from the years 1675-78. '''

Mohammad Zaman favored night scenes, and his work combined multiple influences, drawing subjects from European paintings but with Mughal or Kashmiri stylistic touches. He introduced a European style to Safavid painting in manuscripts. This style combines Persian iconography and compositional elements with more European elements, such as chiaroscuro, atmospheric effect, and “Western” perspective.

Contributions to The Khamsa of Nizami
'''The Khamsa of Nizami, a manuscript of five poems by poet Nizami Ganjavi, is known for its Safavid illustrations—three of which are attributed to Mohammad Zaman. It has been suggested that he produced these paintings in the 17th century as additions to the original manuscript. It is also suggested that the paintings by Mohammad Zaman were inserted in the Khamsa of Nizami after being removed from somewhere else, as there is some damage to the upper sections. '''

Mohammad Zaman's depiction of Bahram Gur and the Indian Princess features wingless faeries, different from other depictions of the scene. The text adjacent to the image is a section of the Tale of the Indian Princess, which ends with a description of food and wine for a banquet in the King and Queen's pavilion. However, Mohammad Zaman's depiction does not include this pavilion scene, instead depicting King Turktazi and the Queen of the Faeries.