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Sadiqi Beg, also referred to as Sadiqi Beg Afshar was a painter, poet, biographer, draftsman, soldier and miniaturist of the Safavid period.^[1] Born in Tabriz in about 1533, he spent a number of years as a wandering dervish before settling in Qazwin where he occupied several positions in the royal court. Ultimately, he was dismissed from a post in the royal library in 1596, and he spent his final years focused on his own writing before his death in Isfahan in 1610.^[2]

Background

Sadiqi Beg was born in Tabriz, the historic capital of the Safavid dynasty, into the Khudabandalu Turkoman tribe in 940/1533.^[3] He came from a notable line of Turkish soldiers that migrated from Syria to support Shah Isma'il who founded the Safavid dynasty in 1501. ^[4]^[5] His father was assassinated when Sadiqi was young, and, despite his family’s noble history, he was left without an inheritance.^[1] Consequently, Sadiqi Beg spent many years as a wandering dervish before deciding to pursue art and poetic science at the age of 32.^[2] He moved to Qazwin in 1568 and asked his pupil and nephew Muzaffar Ali, reputedly an incredible figure painter, to teach him the style of the earlier well-known artist, Bihzad.^[3]^[6]

Royal appointments

Sadiqi Beg was initially invited to serve under Shah Isma’il II whose short rule lasted from 1576-1577. Following this brief royal appointment, while Sultan Mohammad Khuadbanda was in power from 1577 to 1587, he left Qazwin to fight in the Battle of Astarabad (ca. 1581).^[2] Following the battle, he lived in the Iranian cities Hamadan, Lahijan and Yazd.^[7]

He remained absent from the royal court throughout the rule of Muhammad Khudabanda, from 1576-1588, and during this time he focused on single page works rather than large-scale manuscripts.^[2] Eventually, when Shah Abbas I rose to power in 1581, Sadiqi returned to the court and became head of the royal library in Qazwin.^[5] He was highly regarded by royal figures but disliked by his colleagues in the court, and he was dismissed from the library in 1596. However, despite losing this role, he retained the official title and salary and regularly consulted with Shah Abbas I on manuscripts and other royal subjects for the remainder of his life.^[4]^[2]

Painting

Several pieces attributed to Sadiqi Beg survive in modern museums and private collections, and his work is often characterized by its unique colors, distinct contours, and stiff subjects. Many of his most famous illustrations were created while working in the royal court, and he supervised the creation of several important royal volumes. Prior to Shah Isma’il II’s rule, he contributed a single painting to a copy of Asadi’s Garshāspnāma commissioned by the Safavid ruler Tahmasp.^[2] Following this piece, he would go on to illustrate additional royal manuscripts for later rulers.

He heavily contributed to Shah Isma’il II’s Shānāma, and he is credited as the creator of seven of its surviving paintings. Similarly, he painted three pieces for a major Shānāma commissioned by Shah Abbas I.^[2] This copy partially survives in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, although it remains incomplete and is missing several pages.^[5] In addition to his manuscript illustrations, Safavid historian Iskandar Beg Munshi credits Sadiqi Beg with all of the drawing and many of the paintings in Qazwin’s royal palace and the assembly hall in Čhehel Sotūn.^[8]

In 1593, just before leaving his royal employ, Sadiqi Beg personally commissioned and illustrated a copy of Kashifi’s Anvār-I Suhaylī (Lights of Canopus). The volume included 107 drawings, possibly all by Sadiqi himself, and it demonstrates his personal investment in the arts.^[2] Some scholars such as B. W. Robinson attribute these miniatures exclusively to Sadiqi, although others, such as Basil Gray, believe they belong to several artists. However, it remains likely that he commissioned this work with personal funds.^[2]

He was also known for popularizing the Iranian "calligraphic style of drawing." This method is evident in works such as Dragon and Clouds (ca. 1600) which is currently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.^[9] Examples of Sadiqi's work survive in several museums and private collections, and they are highly valued instances of Safavid era artwork. In 1996, a gouache miniature on gold paper, Portrait d'une Jeune Femme Assise sur un Rocher (1590), attributed to Sadiqi, sold at auction in Paris for 80,000 French francs (15,792 U.S. dollars; 12,604 euros; or 10,301 British pounds). The manuscript, in the collection of the Marquess of Bute, is inscribed to "Sadiqi Beg, the rarity of the age, the second Mani, the Bihzad of the time."^[10]

Writing

Sadiqi's native language was Chaghatai, however he was proficient in two additional Turkish literary languages. The Majma’ al-khavass (Lives of Artists) is considered one of his most important written works, and it provides biographical sketches of some of the era's leading poets, artists and connoisseurs.^[1] This work was inspired by Turkish poets Ali-Shir Nava’i, Baki, and Fuzuli, and it includes biographies of 330 poets alongside samples of their work.^[4] Further, the Majma’ al-khavass is split into eight sections and includes details on contemporary rulers, Turkish Statesmen, and Persian Poets.^[1]

In addition to this piece, he wrote the famous Qanun as-Suwar (Canons of Painting) between 1576 and 1602. This work is a treatise on painting techniques published in Persian verse, and he reportedly "painted thousands of marvelous portraits."^[11]^[12] Sadiqi Beg’s writings are an important tool for interpreting historical Persian miniature paintings as he details styles and provides instruction for making art. His Persian writing style was inspired by classic Persian artists, including Khaqani, Ẓahīr, Kamal od-Din Esmail, and Saadi Shirazi.^[4] Uniquely, historians note that he avoided politics by abstaining from using religious denominations to refer to different techniques in his art, and he used classical styles while critiquing contemporary practices.^[4]^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gandjeï, Tourkhan (1957). "Überblick über den vor- und frühislamischen türkischen Versbau". Der Islam. 33 (1–2). doi:10.1515/islm.1957.33.1-2.142. ISSN 0021-1818.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Bloom, Jonathan M.; Blair, Sheila S., eds. (1 January 2009). "The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture". doi:10.1093/acref/9780195309911.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-530991-1. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ ^a ^b ^c Necipoğlu, Gülru; Payne, Alina Alexandra, eds. (2016). Histories of Ornament: From Global to Local. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-16728-2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Horovitz, Josef (2013). Koranische Untersuchungen. Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients. Berlin Leipzig: Walter de Gruyter & Co. ISBN 978-3-11-118686-3.
^ ^a ^b ^c Gowing, Lawrence, ed. (1995). A Biographical dictionary of artists (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-8160-3252-5.
^ Bloom, Jonathan; Blair, Sheila, eds. (2009). The Grove encyclopedia of Islamic art and architecture. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-530991-1. OCLC 232605788.
^ "Frontmatter", Charlemagne, Muhammad, and the Arab Roots of Capitalism, Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients, Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter, 16 January 2006, pp. I–X, doi:10.1515/9783110202830.fm, ISBN 978-3-11-020283-0, retrieved 5 May 2021
^ Histories of Ornament : From Global to Local. Gülru Necipoğlu, Alina Alexandra Payne. Princeton. 2016. ISBN 978-0-691-16728-2. OCLC 913572960.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
^ "Results for "Sadiqi Beg" - The Metropolitan Museum of Art". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
^ The Cambridge history of Iran. W. B. Fisher. Cambridge: University Press. 1968–1991. ISBN 0-521-06935-1. OCLC 745412.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^ PURINTON, NANCY; WATTERS, MARK (1991). "A STUDY OF THE MATERIALS USED BY MEDIEVAL PERSIAN PAINTERS". cool.culturalheritage.org. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
^ Barry, Michael A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzâd of Herât (1465–1535). activeth century Bihzād (English-language ed.). Paris. p. 186. ISBN 978-2-08-030421-6. OCLC 56653717.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Sources

Necipoğlu, Gülru (2016). "Early Modern Floral: The Agency of Ornament i Ottoman and Safavid Visual Cultures". In Necipoğlu, Gülru; Payne, Alina (eds.). Histories of Ornament: From Global to Local. Princeton University Press. pp. 132–155.
Gray, Basil (1986). "The Arts in the Safavid Period". In Jackson, Peter; Lockhart, Lawrence (eds.). The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 6:The Timurid and Safavid Periods. Cambridge University Press. pp. 877–912.

[:0-1] Gandjeï, Tourkhan (1957). "Überblick über den vor- und frühislamischen türkischen Versbau". Der Islam. 33 (1–2). doi:10.1515/islm.1957.33.1-2.142. ISSN 0021-1818.

[:1-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Bloom, Jonathan M.; Blair, Sheila S., eds. (1 January 2009). "The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture". doi:10.1093/acref/9780195309911.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-530991-1. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[:2-3] Necipoğlu, Gülru; Payne, Alina Alexandra, eds. (2016). Histories of Ornament: From Global to Local. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-16728-2.

[:3-4] Horovitz, Josef (2013). Koranische Untersuchungen. Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients. Berlin Leipzig: Walter de Gruyter & Co. ISBN 978-3-11-118686-3.

[:4-5] Gowing, Lawrence, ed. (1995). A Biographical dictionary of artists (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-8160-3252-5.

[6] Bloom, Jonathan; Blair, Sheila, eds. (2009). The Grove encyclopedia of Islamic art and architecture. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-530991-1. OCLC 232605788.

[:04-7] "Frontmatter", Charlemagne, Muhammad, and the Arab Roots of Capitalism, Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients, Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter, 16 January 2006, pp. I–X, doi:10.1515/9783110202830.fm, ISBN 978-3-11-020283-0, retrieved 5 May 2021

[:43-8] Histories of Ornament : From Global to Local. Gülru Necipoğlu, Alina Alexandra Payne. Princeton. 2016. ISBN 978-0-691-16728-2. OCLC 913572960.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)

[9] "Results for "Sadiqi Beg" - The Metropolitan Museum of Art". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 19 April 2024.

[:12-10] The Cambridge history of Iran. W. B. Fisher. Cambridge: University Press. 1968–1991. ISBN 0-521-06935-1. OCLC 745412.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

[11] PURINTON, NANCY; WATTERS, MARK (1991). "A STUDY OF THE MATERIALS USED BY MEDIEVAL PERSIAN PAINTERS". cool.culturalheritage.org. Retrieved 21 May 2021.

[12] Barry, Michael A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzâd of Herât (1465–1535). activeth century Bihzād (English-language ed.). Paris. p. 186. ISBN 978-2-08-030421-6. OCLC 56653717.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

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+{{Short description|Safavid painter and writer (1533–1610)}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
 [[File:Sadiqi_Bek_-_Aulad_Tied_to_a_Plane_Tree,_from_a_Shahnama_by_Firdausi_-_1988.101_-_Cleveland_Museum_of_Art.tif|thumb|Painting shows an Aulad tied to a tree because he is not trusted after helping Rustam, a legendary hero in epics. This painting reflects a stylistic change to Sadiqi Beg's artwork.]]
 [[File:Zal Rescued by the Simurgh.jpg|thumb|''Zal Rescued by the Simurgh''. Miniature from the [[Shahnameh]] (Book of Kings) commissioned by [[Abbas the Great|Shah Abbas I]]. [[Chester Beatty Library]]]]
-'''Sadiqi Beg''', also referred to as '''Sadiqi Beg Afshar''' (1533 [[Tabriz]]–1610 [[Isfahan]]), was a [[Iran|Persian]] painter, poet, biographer, draftsman, soldier and [[Persian miniature|miniaturist]] of the [[Safavid]] period.<ref>John W. O'Malley, ''The Jesuits: Cultures, Sciences, and the Arts, 1540–1773'', Vol.I, (University of Toronto Press, 1999), 390:"''The seventeenth-century Persian art theorist, Sadiqi Beg Afshar...''".</ref><ref name=Gowing>Lawrence Gowing, ed. "Sadiqi Beg" in ''A Biographical Dictionary of Artists''. New York: Facts on File (U.S. ed.)/Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Andromeda Oxford Ltd. (U.K.)</ref> He served as the head of the Royal Library serving under Shah Abbas I, and is most known for artistic reform.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Sadiqi|url=https://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000074915|access-date=5 May 2021|website=Grove Art Online|year=2003|language=en|doi=10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t074915|last1=Vernoit|first1=S. J.}}</ref>
+'''Sadiqi Beg''', also referred to as '''Sadiqi Beg Afshar''' was a painter, poet, biographer, draftsman, soldier and [[Persian miniature|miniaturist]] of the [[Safavid]] period.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Gandjeï |first=Tourkhan |date=1957 |title=Überblick über den vor- und frühislamischen türkischen Versbau |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/islm.1957.33.1-2.142 |journal=Der Islam |volume=33 |issue=1–2 |doi=10.1515/islm.1957.33.1-2.142 |issn=0021-1818}}</ref> Born in [[Tabriz]] in about 1533, he spent a number of years as a wandering dervish before settling in [[Qazvin|Qazwin]] where he occupied several positions in the royal court. Ultimately, he was dismissed from a post in the royal library in 1596, and he spent his final years focused on his own writing before his death in [[Isfahan]] in 1610.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |date=2009-01-01 |editor-last=Bloom |editor-first=Jonathan M. |editor2-last=Blair |editor2-first=Sheila S. |title=The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780195309911.001.0001 |doi=10.1093/acref/9780195309911.001.0001|isbn=978-0-19-530991-1 }}</ref>
-==Biography==
+==Background ==
-Sadiqi Beg was born in Tabriz, the capital of the Safavid dynasty, into the Khudabandalu Turkmen tribe in 940/1533. He came from a lineage of Turkish soldiers that migrated Syria to support Shah Isma'il, who founded the Safavid dynasty.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|title=Frontmatter|date=16 January 2006|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110202830.fm|series=Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients|place=Berlin, New York|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|doi=10.1515/9783110202830.fm|isbn=978-3-11-020283-0|access-date=5 May 2021}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/31291182|title=A Biographical dictionary of artists|date=1995|others=Lawrence Gowing|isbn=0-8160-3252-1|edition=Revised|location=New York, NY|oclc=31291182}}</ref> Although his family settled in Tabriz, his father was killed early in life, and Sadiqi Beg moved around Safavid as a dervish. At the age of 32, he gave up life as a dervish and studied art and the treatise of the science of poetry under the instruction of poet and calligrapher Mir San‛i for 3 years.<ref name=":0" /> In 1568, he asked his pupil and nephew Muzfatar Ali,<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/913572960|title=Histories of Ornament : From Global to Local|date=2016|others=Gülru Necipoğlu, Alina Alexandra Payne|isbn=978-0-691-16728-2|location=Princeton|oclc=913572960}}</ref> reputedly an incomparable figure painter, to teach him the art of the well-known earlier artist [[Bihzad]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/745412|title=The Cambridge history of Iran.|date=1968–1991|publisher=University Press|others=W. B. Fisher|isbn=0-521-06935-1|location=Cambridge|oclc=745412}}</ref>
+Sadiqi Beg was born in Tabriz, the historic capital of the Safavid dynasty, into the Khudabandalu Turkoman tribe in 940/1533.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |title=Histories of Ornament: From Global to Local |date=2016 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-16728-2 |editor-last=Necipoğlu |editor-first=Gülru |location=Princeton |editor-last2=Payne |editor-first2=Alina Alexandra}}</ref> He came from a notable line of Turkish soldiers that migrated from Syria to support Shah Isma'il who founded the Safavid dynasty in 1501. <ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Horovitz |first=Josef |title=Koranische Untersuchungen |date=2013 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter & Co |isbn=978-3-11-118686-3 |series=Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients |location=Berlin Leipzig}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |title=A Biographical dictionary of artists |date=1995 |publisher=Facts on File |isbn=978-0-8160-3252-5 |editor-last=Gowing |editor-first=Lawrence |edition=Rev. |location=New York, NY}}</ref> His father was assassinated when Sadiqi  was young, and, despite his family’s noble history, he was left without an inheritance.<ref name=":0" /> Consequently, Sadiqi Beg spent many years as a wandering dervish before deciding to pursue art and poetic science at the age of 32.<ref name=":1" /> He moved to Qazwin in 1568 and asked his pupil and nephew Muzaffar Ali, reputedly an incredible figure painter, to teach him the style of the earlier well-known artist, [[Bihzad]].<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/232605788 |title=The Grove encyclopedia of Islamic art and architecture |date=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-530991-1 |editor-last=Bloom |editor-first=Jonathan |location=Oxford ; New York |oclc=232605788 |editor-last2=Blair |editor-first2=Sheila}}</ref>
+== Royal appointments ==
-Eventually, he served in the royal staff of [[Ismail II|Shah Isma'il II]], who ruled from 1576 to 1577. While [[Mohammad Khodabanda|Sultan Mohammad Khuadbanda]] was in power from 1577-1587, he served as a member of the Afshar tribe and fought in the Battle of Astarabad. Later, he lived in [[Hamadan]], [[Lahijan]] and [[Yazd]].<ref name=":02">{{Citation|title=Frontmatter|date=16 January 2006|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110202830.fm|series=Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients|place=Berlin, New York|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|doi=10.1515/9783110202830.fm|isbn=978-3-11-020283-0|access-date=5 May 2021}}</ref> Upon the rise to power of [[Abbas the Great|Shah Abbas I]] in 1587, Sadiqi was bestowed as the head of the royal library in Qazwin. Even though he had high royal favorability, he had conflicts with his colleagues. Thus, in 1598, he fell from office, but retained his official title and salary. Despite not being the active librarian, he continued to influence the decisions of Shah Abbas I as it relates to his successor and the work that he commissioned.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":32">{{Cite web|title=Sadiqi|url=https://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000074915|access-date=5 May 2021|website=Grove Art Online|year=2003|language=en|doi=10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t074915|last1=Vernoit|first1=S. J.}}</ref>
+Sadiqi Beg was initially invited to serve under [[Ismail II|Shah Isma’il II]] whose short rule lasted from 1576-1577. Following this brief royal appointment, while [[Mohammad Khodabanda|Sultan Mohammad Khuadbanda]] was in power from 1577 to 1587, he left Qazwin to fight in the Battle of Astarabad (ca. 1581).<ref name=":1" /> Following the battle, he lived in the Iranian cities [[Hamadan]], [[Lahijan]] and [[Yazd]].<ref name=":04">{{Citation |chapter=Frontmatter |date=16 January 2006 |chapter-url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110202830.fm |access-date=5 May 2021 |series=Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients |place=Berlin, New York |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |doi=10.1515/9783110202830.fm |isbn=978-3-11-020283-0 |title=Charlemagne, Muhammad, and the Arab Roots of Capitalism |pages=I-X }}</ref>
+He remained absent from the royal court throughout the rule of Muhammad Khudabanda, from 1576-1588, and during this time he focused on single page works rather than large-scale manuscripts.<ref name=":1" /> Eventually, when [[Abbas the Great|Shah Abbas I]] rose to power in 1581, Sadiqi returned to the court and became head of the royal library in Qazwin.<ref name=":4" /> He was highly regarded by royal figures but disliked by his colleagues in the court, and he was dismissed from the library in 1596. However, despite losing this role, he retained the official title and salary and regularly consulted with Shah Abbas I on manuscripts and other royal subjects for the remainder of his life.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" />
-Sadiqi's native language was [[Chagatai language|Chaghatai]], and he wrote biographical sketches of some of the era's leading poets, artists and connoisseurs in that language. His work is inspired by Turkish poets [[Ali-Shir Nava'i|Ali-Shir Nava’i]], [[Bâkî|Baki]], and [[Fuzuli (writer)|Fuzuli]].<ref name=":03">{{Citation|title=Frontmatter|date=16 January 2006|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110202830.fm|series=Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients|place=Berlin, New York|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|doi=10.1515/9783110202830.fm|isbn=978-3-11-020283-0|access-date=5 May 2021}}</ref> In addition to Changtai, he knew 2 other turkish literary languages. He wrote the ''Tazkhireh-i Majma‘ al-Khavas'' (lives of artists), which includes biographies of 350 poets and samples of their work, and is inspired by [[Ali-Shir Nava'i]]’s ''Majalis un-Nafais'', another tazkhireh. The ''Tazkhireh-i Majma‘ al-Khavas'' has 8 sections including those on contemporary rulers, Turkish Statesmen, and Persian Poets.<ref>{{Cite web|title=COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ALISHER NAVAI'S MAJALIS UN-NAFAIS AND SADIQI BEG AFSHOR SADIQI'S MAJMA' AL-KHAVAS – International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation|url=https://www.psychosocial.com/article/PR280174/16623/|access-date=21 May 2021|language=en-US}}</ref>
+== Painting ==
-He also wrote the famous ''Qanun as-Suwa''r (Canons of Painting) between 1576 and 1602, a treatise on painting techniques in [[Persian language|Persian]] verse.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=PURINTON|first1=NANCY|last2=WATTERS|first2=MARK|year=1991|title=A STUDY OF THE MATERIALS USED BY MEDIEVAL PERSIAN PAINTERS|url=https://cool.culturalheritage.org/jaic/articles/jaic30-02-002_2.html|access-date=21 May 2021|website=cool.culturalheritage.org}}</ref> He reportedly "painted thousands of marvellous portraits".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Barry|first=Michael A.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/56653717|title=Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzâd of Herât (1465–1535)|date=2004|others=activeth century Bihzād|isbn=978-2-08-030421-6|edition=English-language|location=Paris|pages=186|oclc=56653717}}</ref> His writings are one of the major sources on the history of Persian miniature painting because it details style and instruction for making art. His Persian writing style was inspired by classic Persian artists, including [[Khaqani]], [[Zahir-al-Din Faryabi|Ẓahīr]], [[Kamal od-Din Esmail]], and [[Saadi Shirazi]]. He used classical style, and critiqued contemporary styles.<ref name=":04">{{Citation|title=Frontmatter|date=16 January 2006|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110202830.fm|series=Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients|place=Berlin, New York|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|doi=10.1515/9783110202830.fm|isbn=978-3-11-020283-0|access-date=5 May 2021}}</ref> Unique to this time, historians point out that he avoided politics by abstaining from using religious denominations to refer to different techniques in his art.<ref name=":42">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/913572960|title=Histories of Ornament : From Global to Local|date=2016|others=Gülru Necipoğlu, Alina Alexandra Payne|isbn=978-0-691-16728-2|location=Princeton|oclc=913572960}}</ref>
+Several pieces attributed to Sadiqi Beg survive in modern museums and private collections, and his work is often characterized by its unique colors, distinct contours, and stiff subjects. Many of his most famous illustrations were created while working in the royal court, and he supervised the creation of several important royal volumes. Prior to Shah Isma’il II’s rule, he contributed a single painting to a copy of Asadi’s ''Garshāspnāma'' commissioned by the Safavid ruler Tahmasp.<ref name=":1" /> Following this piece, he would go on to illustrate additional royal manuscripts for later rulers.
-Examples of Sadiqi's work are in a number of museums. A 3-inch by 6-inch (7.62&nbsp;cm by 15.24&nbsp;cm) [[gouache]] miniature on gold paper, Portrait d'une jeune femme assise sur un rocher, attributed to Sadiqi from 1590, sold at auction in Paris in 1996 for 80,000 French francs (15,792 U.S. dollars; 12,604 euros; or 10,301 British pounds). Some scholars, such as B. W. Robinson, attribute the 107 miniatures in a 1593 version of [[Anvar-i-Suhayli|Anwar i-Suhayli]] (a book of fables) to Sadiqi, although others, such as Basil Gray, think that they appear to be by several artists, not all of the same quality. It is also possible that he commissioned this work with his personal wealth.<ref name=":33">{{Cite web|title=Sadiqi|url=https://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000074915|access-date=5 May 2021|website=Grove Art Online|year=2003|language=en|doi=10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t074915|last1=Vernoit|first1=S. J.}}</ref> The manuscript, in the collection of the [[Marquess of Bute]], is inscribed to "Sadiqi Beg, the rarity of the age, the second Mani, the Bihzad of the time".<ref name=":12">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/745412|title=The Cambridge history of Iran.|date=1968–1991|publisher=University Press|others=W. B. Fisher|isbn=0-521-06935-1|location=Cambridge|oclc=745412}}</ref>
-Safavid historian [[Iskandar Beg Munshi]] writes: “The paintings of the royal palace [in [[Qazvin]]], and of the royal assembly in the Čhehel Sotūn hall [completed ca. 1556], were drawn by him, and most of the painting was also his work."<ref name=":43">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/913572960|title=Histories of Ornament : From Global to Local|date=2016|others=Gülru Necipoğlu, Alina Alexandra Payne|isbn=978-0-691-16728-2|location=Princeton|oclc=913572960}}</ref>
+He heavily contributed to Shah Isma’il II’s Shānāma, and he is credited as the creator of seven of its surviving paintings. Similarly, he painted three pieces for a major Shānāma commissioned by Shah Abbas I.<ref name=":1" /> This copy partially survives in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, although it remains incomplete and is missing several pages.<ref name=":4" /> In addition to his manuscript illustrations, Safavid historian [[Iskandar Beg Munshi]] credits Sadiqi Beg with all of the drawing and many of the paintings in Qazwin’s royal palace and the assembly hall in Čhehel Sotūn.<ref name=":43">{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/913572960 |title=Histories of Ornament : From Global to Local |date=2016 |others=Gülru Necipoğlu, Alina Alexandra Payne |isbn=978-0-691-16728-2 |location=Princeton |oclc=913572960}}</ref>
+In 1593, just before leaving his royal employ, Sadiqi Beg personally commissioned and illustrated a copy of Kashifi’s ''Anvār-I Suhaylī'' (Lights of Canopus). The volume included 107 drawings, possibly all by Sadiqi himself, and it demonstrates his personal investment in the arts.<ref name=":1" /> Some scholars such as B. W. Robinson attribute these miniatures exclusively to Sadiqi, although others, such as Basil Gray, believe they belong to several artists. However, it remains likely that he commissioned this work with personal funds.<ref name=":1" />
-His last royal work was on an edition of the [[Shahnameh]] (Book of Kings), part of which is at the [[Chester Beatty Library]] in Dublin.
+He was also known for popularizing the Iranian "calligraphic style of drawing." This method is evident in works such as ''Dragon and Clouds'' (ca. 1600) which is currently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Results for "Sadiqi Beg" - The Metropolitan Museum of Art |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?q=Sadiqi+Beg&sortBy=Relevance |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.metmuseum.org |language=en}}</ref> Examples of Sadiqi's work survive in several museums and private collections, and they are highly valued instances of Safavid era artwork. In 1996, a [[gouache]] miniature on gold paper, ''Portrait d'une Jeune Femme Assise sur un Rocher'' (1590), attributed to Sadiqi, sold at auction in Paris for 80,000 French francs (15,792 U.S. dollars; 12,604 euros; or 10,301 British pounds). The manuscript, in the collection of the [[Marquess of Bute]], is inscribed to "Sadiqi Beg, the rarity of the age, the second Mani, the Bihzad of the time."<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/745412 |title=The Cambridge history of Iran. |date=1968–1991 |publisher=University Press |others=W. B. Fisher |isbn=0-521-06935-1 |location=Cambridge |oclc=745412}}</ref>
+== Writing ==
+Sadiqi's native language was [[Chagatai language|Chaghatai]], however he was proficient in two additional Turkish literary languages. The ''Majma’ al-khavass'' (Lives of Artists) is considered one of his most important written works, and it provides biographical sketches of some of the era's leading poets, artists and connoisseurs.<ref name=":0" /> This work was inspired by Turkish poets [[Ali-Shir Nava'i|Ali-Shir Nava’i]], [[Bâkî|Baki]], and [[Fuzuli (poet)|Fuzuli]], and it includes biographies of 330 poets alongside samples of their work.<ref name=":3" /> Further, the ''Majma’ al-khavass'' is split into eight sections and includes details on contemporary rulers, Turkish Statesmen, and Persian Poets.<ref name=":0" />
+In addition to this piece, he wrote the famous ''Qanun as-Suwa''r (Canons of Painting) between 1576 and 1602. This work is a treatise on painting techniques published in [[Persian language|Persian]] verse, and he reportedly "painted thousands of marvelous portraits."<ref>{{Cite web |last1=PURINTON |first1=NANCY |last2=WATTERS |first2=MARK |year=1991 |title=A STUDY OF THE MATERIALS USED BY MEDIEVAL PERSIAN PAINTERS |url=https://cool.culturalheritage.org/jaic/articles/jaic30-02-002_2.html |access-date=21 May 2021 |website=cool.culturalheritage.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Barry |first=Michael A. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/56653717 |title=Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzâd of Herât (1465–1535) |date=2004 |others=activeth century Bihzād |isbn=978-2-08-030421-6 |edition=English-language |location=Paris |pages=186 |oclc=56653717}}</ref> Sadiqi Beg’s writings are an important tool for interpreting historical Persian miniature paintings as he details styles and provides instruction for making art. His Persian writing style was inspired by classic Persian artists, including [[Khaqani]], [[Zahir-al-Din Faryabi|Ẓahīr]], [[Kamal od-Din Esmail]], and [[Saadi Shirazi]].<ref name=":3" /> Uniquely, historians note that he avoided politics by abstaining from using religious denominations to refer to different techniques in his art, and he used classical styles while critiquing contemporary practices.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" />
 == References ==
 {{reflist}}
+==Sources==
+*{{cite book |chapter=Early Modern Floral: The Agency of Ornament i Ottoman and Safavid Visual Cultures |pages=132–155 |first=Gülru |last=Necipoğlu |title=Histories of Ornament: From Global to Local |editor-first1=Gülru |editor-last1=Necipoğlu |editor-first2=Alina |editor-last2=Payne |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2016 }}
+*{{cite book |chapter=The Arts in the Safavid Period |first=Basil |last=Gray |pages=877–912 |title=The Cambridge History of Iran |volume=6:The Timurid and Safavid Periods |editor-first1=Peter |editor-last1=Jackson |editor-first2=Lawrence |editor-last2=Lockhart |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1986  }}
 {{Azerbaijani Turkic literature}}
 {{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Beg, Sadiqi}}
-[[Category:1533 births]]
+[[Category:1530s births]]
 [[Category:1610 deaths]]
 [[Category:16th-century Iranian painters]]
@@ Line 31: / Line 48: @@
 [[Category:Poets from Tabriz]]
 [[Category:16th-century Persian-language poets]]
-[[Category:Persian miniature painters]]
+[[Category:Iranian miniature painters]]
 [[Category:Ethnic Afshar people]]
+[[Category:Draughtsmen]]

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