LENS.- The Louvre-Lens presents the very first retrospective in continental Europe dedicated to the magnicent art of the Qajar dynasty.

The original and surprising art created during this period was particularly rich and bountiful, driven in part by exceptionally talented court artists. This fascinating but little-known history is the focus of this exhibition, which displays over 400 works from a wide range of private collections and major European, North American and Middle Eastern institutions. Many of the pieces are appearing here for the first time anywhere in the world.

Qajar Iran : a major point of reference for contemporary Iranian artists working today
During this extraordinary period, the artistic development of pieces intended for the court focused on traditional techniques such as painting, glasswork and metalworking, elevating these ‘elds to a new level of excellence. The Qajar sovereigns themselves were experts in drawing and calligraphy. At the same time, new techniques began to appear, including photography, which played a central role following its introduction by Nasseredin Shah in the 1840s. While the major iconographical themes endured, the styles used to depict them changed considerably, and these continue to have a profound impact on contemporary Iranian art.

An art history enthusiast himself, designer Christian Lacroix has fashioned the exhibition as a stroll through the rooms of an opulent Qajar palace. Visitors enter the gallery through a monumental doorway inspired by the triple arcade depicted in the Ruines du palais d’Ashra , a 19th-century painting by Jules Laurens on loan from the Bibliothèque Inguimbertine in Carpentras.

Within the exhibition gallery, the succession of rooms is inspired by the palatial residence constructed by Fath Ali Shah in Sulaymaniyah. The rooms are therefore grouped into four architectural units that correspond to the four main sections of the exhibition, separated by alleys. Each unit can be identi‘ed by varying shades of a certain colour, characteristic of both Qajar art and the world of Christian Lacroix: blue, red, green and yellow.

Curator: Gwenaëlle Fellinger, Senior Curator, department of Islamic Art at the Louvre Museum.

Associate curator: Hana Chidiac, head of the North African and Near Eastern collections at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac.