Comparative Analysis of the Visual and Semantic Elements of the Narrative of “Prophet Solomon (AS) and Bilqis” in Two Paintings from the Mashhad School and by Mahmoud Farshchian Based on Feldman’s Model

Khorasanizadeh, Mohammad; Farid, Sahar

doi:10.22034/hgj.2026.577749.1061

Comparative Analysis of the Visual and Semantic Elements of the Narrative of “Prophet Solomon (AS) and Bilqis” in Two Paintings from the Mashhad School and by Mahmoud Farshchian Based on Feldman’s Model

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad Khorasanizadeh ¹

Sahar Farid ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Art, Faculty of Arts, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

² M.A. student in Persian painting, Department of Islamic Art, Faculty of Arts, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/hgj.2026.577749.1061

Abstract

Iranian miniature painting has employed diverse approaches to organizing visual and semantic elements in the representation of religious and literary narratives, shaped by the historical and visual context of each period. This study examines the differences in the visual and semantic organization of the narrative of Solomon and Bilqis in a Safavid miniature from the Mashhad school and a contemporary work by Mahmoud Farshchian. It aims to identify and compare their visual characteristics, formal relationships, and semantic significations based on Feldman’s four-stage model of description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. The research adopts a qualitative approach and a descriptive-analytical and comparative method. The selected works were purposefully chosen and analyzed according to shared visual and narrative criteria. The findings show that the Mashhad-school miniature has a multilayered organization characterized by a fragmented frame, multiple figures, architectural and decorative elements, and the juxtaposition of several narrative scenes. In contrast, Farshchian’s work presents a more fluid organization through a vertical frame, greater emphasis on the principal figures, curved lines, and animal and vegetal elements. The results indicate that, despite their thematic connection to Solomon and Bilqis, the two works reconstruct the narrative within distinct visual systems.

Keywords

Prophet Solomon (AS)

Balqis

Mashhad School

Mahmoud Farshchian

Persian Painting

Feldman Model

Subjects