Clara Abkar

Clara Abkar (Persian: کلارا آبکار, Armenian: Կլարա Աբգար; 1916 – March 20, 1996) was an Iranian-Armenian miniaturist painter and gilder.^[1][2] Her name is sometimes spelled Klara Abgar, Clara Abgaryan, and Clara Abkarian.

Clara Abkar
کلارا آبکار
Born	1916 Tehran, Qajar Iran
Died	March 20, 1996 Iran
Resting place	Nor Burastan Cemetery
Other names	Կլարա Աբգար
Known for	Paisley design
Notable work	"Pirzan" and "Sultan Sanjar"

Early life and career

Clara Abkar was the first female Iranian miniaturist, born into an Armenian family from New Julfa the Armenian quarter of Isfahan, Iran. She was born in 1916 in Tehran, Qajar Iran. She studied at the Armenian school Davotian, later called Koshesh. During her school days, she learned painting with Markar Qarabaghian and Hakup Vartanian. She also studied Iranian traditional painting and miniature under Mohammad Mehrovan,^[3] the designer of Iranian stamps.

She studied at the High Academy of Fine Arts.

in her miniature paintings horse riding scenes, still life, flowers, the Mausoleum of Omar Khayyám, Attar, Sheikh Ahmad and also the Firozabadi and Aliabad towers had a special place.

She never put her works on sale.^[4][5]

Works

Horse riding scenes, still life paintings, flowers and the tomb of Khayyam and Attar were some of the artist's favorite subjects for miniature paintings. She also excelled in portraying bazam gatherings. Among her famous paintings are Anoushirvan and Bozorgmehr, Shekar-é Bahram, Youssef and Zulikha, The old woman and Ahmad Sanjar, Majlese Sheikh San'Aan, The Fearful Girl, Bazm and Bade Eshgh. Abkar also produced many notable gilded paintings, with her octagonal gilding featuring a paisley design being particularly famous.^[6][7]

References

1. "۱۰۰ زن نخست ایران در حوزه‌های مختلف" [Iran's first 100 women in different fields]. BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 2013-10-10. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
2. "هنرمندی که آثارش را زنان تاثیرگذار ایران؛ کلارا آبکار،" [Influential women of Iran; Clara Abkar, an artist who did not sell her works]. Iran Wire.
3. "کلارا آبکار". rasekhoon.net. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
4. "زندگینامه : کلارا آبکار (۱۲۹۴-۱۳۷۵)". www.hamshahrionline.ir (in Persian). 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
5. "نخستين مينياتوريست زن – DW – ۱۳۹۹/۸/۱۳". dw.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
6. Բախչինյան, Արծվի (2002). Հայազգի գործիչներ :հնագույն ժամանակներից մինչեւ մեր օրերը ; կենսագրական հանրագիտակ. Երևան: Տաթև գիտակրթական համալիր Զանգակ-97. p. 171-72. ISBN 99930-2-415-5.
7. Navasargian, Alice (1997). Iran - Armenia: Golden Bridges: 20th Century Iranian-Armenian Painters. Glendale: AAA Publishing House. p. 98-103. ISBN 978-0-9697620-0-3.