Elahe Panjehpashi, Anita Sanei,
Volume 1, Issue 52 (winter 2023)
Abstract
Coffeehouse (Ghahvekhane) painting is a type of innovative and folk art that has emerged from the community and narrates national and religious epics. A significant portion of coffeehouse paintings is dedicated to the events of Karbala and the heroism of Imam Ḥusayn (as) and his companions. Despite the presence of women alongside men in this epic, their role in coffeehouse painting has not received much attention. The main research question is how the structural characteristic of women are depicted in coffeehouse paintings? To study the structure of women in the paintings of ʿĀshūrā, six works have been selected. After collecting library data, these data were analyzed using historical methods. The findings of the research indicate that the criteria for representing images of women in coffeehouse painting are rooted in Iranian-Islamic tradition and identity. The depiction of women in this style is presented in two forms: one is the image of a woman in a main role, positioned in the foreground of the images and occupying the main subject, and the other is the image of a woman in a secondary role, appearing in the background of the works and holding less significance.
