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Persian Art Lecture & Exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums

Recently, Mom and I attended a lecture at the Harvard Art Museums about Persian Art and then had a chance to peek at the exhibit that coordinated with that lecture. (I shared a video peek at the lecture and the exhibit in my November 7-13 vlog, around the 3:11 mark.)  I didn't know almost anything about Persian Art, so I was glad to gain a teeny bit of familiarity.  In case you don't know a lot about Persian Art, I copied and pasted this basic summary from the Persian Art wikipedia page:

Persian art or Iranian art has one of the richest art heritages in world history and has been strong in many media including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and sculpture. At different times, influences from the art of neighbouring civilizations have been very important, and latterly Persian art gave and received major influences as part of the wider styles of Islamic art….In ancient times the surviving monuments of Persian art are notable for a tradition concentrating on the human figure (mostly male, and often royal) and animals. Persian art continued to place larger emphasis on figures than Islamic art from other areas, though for religious reasons now generally avoiding large examples, especially in sculpture. The general Islamic style of dense decoration, geometrically laid out, developed in Persia into a supremely elegant and harmonious style combining motifs derived from plants with Chinese motifs such as the cloud-band, and often animals that are represented at a much smaller scale than the plant elements surrounding them. 

On our way to the exhibit gallery we passed a beautiful mobile, which you can see below, and a lot of non-Persian art that I loved.

from the Balzer Designs Blog: Persian Art Lecture & Exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums

I particularly liked the room of African art and note the information I've highlighted in orange:

from the Balzer Designs Blog: Persian Art Lecture & Exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums

And here is some of the Persian art that was on display (note the very small scale of almost all the art — so small that many pieces had magnifying glasses hanging near them):

from the Balzer Designs Blog: Persian Art Lecture & Exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums
from the Balzer Designs Blog: Persian Art Lecture & Exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums
from the Balzer Designs Blog: Persian Art Lecture & Exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums

I often leave an art exhibit and try to think of one thing to take away with me.  Something I want to be sure not to forget. It can be simple or complicated — an esoteric idea or simply a painting technique.  As so often happens, it's the detours in life that often offer the best gifts.  We were there for the Persian art, but that single paragraph (that I put an orange star next to) from that little room of African objects has had my brain in hyperdrive for the last month.  I can't quite work out exactly what it means to me, but I am fascinated by the idea that art objects are constantly in transition, never really finished — just keep getting made over and transformed through time and location.  I'm going to think about that for a while.

What are you taking away from these photos?

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Based outside of Boston, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is a painter, printmaker, and collage artist who constructs vibrant compositions. Her artwork investigates the interplay of identity and perception, inviting viewers to take a longer look. Julie works in layers, both physically and metaphorically, exploring what is visible and what is concealed. Passionate about connecting with and inspiring other artists, she shares her expertise through in-person workshops and her online classroom at MyArtPractice.com. Julie's achievements include high-profile clients, multiple publications - including her book, “Carve Stamp Play” - and exhibits in New York City and throughout Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Brown University.

18 thoughts on “Persian Art Lecture & Exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums

  • I always love that you include all of us on your fun excursions with Mom !!
    This trip was no exception….thanks for sharing.
    hugs, Joan

    Reply
  • I always love that you include all of us on your fun excursions with Mom !!
    This trip was no exception….thanks for sharing.
    hugs, Joan

    Reply
  • I always love that you include all of us on your fun excursions with Mom !!
    This trip was no exception….thanks for sharing.
    hugs, Joan

    Reply
  • I always love that you include all of us on your fun excursions with Mom !!
    This trip was no exception….thanks for sharing.
    hugs, Joan

    Reply
  • I always love that you include all of us on your fun excursions with Mom !!
    This trip was no exception….thanks for sharing.
    hugs, Joan

    Reply
  • I always love that you include all of us on your fun excursions with Mom !!
    This trip was no exception….thanks for sharing.
    hugs, Joan

    Reply
  • I love the Persian art. There seems to be an affinity with Patchwork. Thank you for sharing Julie.

    Reply
  • I love the Persian art. There seems to be an affinity with Patchwork. Thank you for sharing Julie.

    Reply
  • I love the Persian art. There seems to be an affinity with Patchwork. Thank you for sharing Julie.

    Reply
  • I love the Persian art. There seems to be an affinity with Patchwork. Thank you for sharing Julie.

    Reply
  • I love the Persian art. There seems to be an affinity with Patchwork. Thank you for sharing Julie.

    Reply
  • I love the Persian art. There seems to be an affinity with Patchwork. Thank you for sharing Julie.

    Reply
  • There’s always a story each of these pieces of art tells–it’s always fun to make something up!

    Reply
  • There’s always a story each of these pieces of art tells–it’s always fun to make something up!

    Reply
  • There’s always a story each of these pieces of art tells–it’s always fun to make something up!

    Reply
  • There’s always a story each of these pieces of art tells–it’s always fun to make something up!

    Reply
  • There’s always a story each of these pieces of art tells–it’s always fun to make something up!

    Reply
  • There’s always a story each of these pieces of art tells–it’s always fun to make something up!

    Reply

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