Individualism in the Religious–Islamic Miniature Painting of Sultan Muhammad with Emphasis on Religious Experience

Abstract

Examining the relationship between individualism and religious experience in religious–Islamic miniature painting constitutes one of the most significant topics in the field of comparative art studies. Religious miniature painting in the Safavid period—particularly in the works of Sultan Muhammad—provides an exceptional opportunity for analyzing this relationship. Sultan Muhammad, who was active at the court of Shah Tahmasp, produced a substantial portion of his works in the form of official royal commissions; however, under the influence of mystical movements, he succeeded in developing a personal and distinctive style and mode of expression within religious miniature painting. The purpose of the present study is to investigate how the artist’s individualism emerges in his religious works and how it influences the religious experience of the viewer. This research employs a descriptive–analytical method and qualitative content analysis of miniature paintings attributed to Sultan Muhammad in order to identify the components of individualism in the representation of the sacred. The findings indicate that Sultan Muhammad, through creative use of composition, transcendent colors, and the emphasis of details, conveys a mystical and personal experience of the sacred to the audience. Accordingly, individualism in the religious miniature painting of Sultan Muhammad provides a foundation for the deepening and redefinition of religious experience within the domain of Safavid visual art.