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Kamal al-Din Bihzad

Type Figure Region Central Asia Time c. 1460–1535 Also known as Ustad Bihzad、master of Persian miniature painting

Bihzad was one of the greatest masters of 15th–16th century Persian miniature painting and headed the Herat court workshop;…

Timeline

  1. 1511–1515Herat · KhorasanHe continued to lead the Herat workshop after the death of Husayn Bayqara (1506), creating and training disciples between 1511 and 1515, pushing the composition, color, and narrative of miniature painting to new heights and sustaining the artistic tradition of the late Timurid Renaissance.
  2. 1515–1518Samarkand · TransoxianaDue to the eastward advance of Uzbek forces and political turmoil in Herat, he left his homeland after about 1515, active along the Samarkand route, his artistic style continuing to evolve in migration, preparing for entry into the Safavid court.
  3. 1518–1520Tabriz · Safavid EmpireAround 1518–1520 he was invited by Ismail I to the Safavid court in Tabriz, integrating Herat school techniques into the art of the emerging Shia dynasty, deeply shaping the direction of Safavid miniature painting, with disciples throughout Persia and Central Asia.

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