تاثير تجارت بر توسعه هنر نقاشي جلفاي اصفهان در عصر صفوي

The Impact of Mercantilism in Enhancement of Painting in Julfa of Isfahan under the Era of Safavid Dynasty

اين مقاله از ديدگاه تاريخ اجتماعي هنر و با به‌كارگيري روش زايتگيست كه بررسي زمينه تاريخي-اجتماعي را در پيدايش هنر جديد اجتناب‌ ناپذير مي‌كند، نگاشته شده است؛ لذا اين تحقيق براي دست‌يابي به شرايط تاريخي-اجتماعي موضوع مورد بحث از منابع اوليه (كتب و اسناد) قرون هفده، هجده و نوزده و منابع ثانويه در زمينه تاريخي- اجتماعي ظهور و توسعه هنر نقاشي مدرن توسط هنرمندان ارمني جلفاي اصفهان قرن هفدهم، كه به علت كوچ اجباري ارامنه به شهر اصفهان در سال "هزار و ششصدوسه" توسط شاه عباس صفوي به اصفهان آورده شده بودند، نگاشته شده است. در اين مقاله به اين مسيله پرداخته خواهد شد كه چگونه اعطاي امتيازات تجاري از سوي شاه صفوي باعث رشد و رونق روزافزون تجار ارمني در اصفهان شد و چگونه دامنه قدرت تجاري جوامع قومي ارامنه به سبب موضوع فوق‌الذكر به شهرهاي مهم اروپايي گسترش يافت و چگونه سفرهاي متعدد تجار آن‌ها را با هنر اروپايي و به خصوص نقاشي آشنا كرد و اقامت در سكونت‌گاه‌هاي اروپايي مزين به نقاشي، چه تاثيري بر آن‌ها در راستاي تشويق هنر نقاشي به سبك مدرن گذاشت. مقاله با ترسيم اوضاع تاريخي– اقتصادي اين دوره سعي خواهد كرد تا زمينه مادي به‌كارگيري نقاشي مدرن را به مثابه يك نياز تا آن حد كه هنرمندان سرآمدي در هنر نقاشي تربيت شوند و آثار چشم‌گيري در خانه‌هاي تجار و اغنيا و همچنين كليسا‌ها به صورت نقاشي‌هاي ديواري به سبك مدرن براي تزيين از خود به جا گذارند، استخراج كند و نهايتاً سعي خواهد كرد روند فرهنگ مادي و معنوي و يا به عبارتي ديگر پيوند تجارت و هنر از سوي يك قوم مهاجر را در يك بافت كاملاً جديد در دياسپورا نشان دهد و نيز مي‌كوشد بر اساس شواهد تاريخي نشان دهد كه مي‌ناس نقاش ارمني‌الاصل اصفهاني طلايه‌دار نقاشي مدرن در ايران است و سابقه نقاشي مدرن ايران نه به قرن نوزدهم بلكه به قرن هفدهم ميلادي در اين مرز و بوم مي‌رسد.

This paper, following a formalist approach, attempts to explain art as a Zeitgeist, or ʹspirit of the ageʹ. It is aimed to investigate the enhancement of the painting by Armenian artists of Isfahan on the bases of historical literature and documents left since 17th, 18th and 19th century, as well as the available secondary sources tries to examine the Iranian–Armenian communityʹs achievements in art, frescoes, and painted curtains of 17th century in Julfa of Isfahan, as a part of Safavid capital, across the banks of the Zayande Rud which was constructed especially for the Armenians who were brought to Iran through forced migration by Shah Abbas between 1604 and 1905. The achievements of the Iranian–Armenian community in the arts were spectacular. The transitional period from manuscript illumination to canvas painting, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, has not been adequately studied by the art historians. Frescoes, painted altar curtains, ceramics, and canvas paintings are still preserved in churches and the homes of the wealthy in New Julfa. During this period, a transition took place from conventional medieval forms to new realistic forms and means of expression. Along with miniatures and murals, other new forms and genres of art developed: easel painting, portraiture, life scenes from the daily experiences of ordinary people, and landscape painting. Artists whose names have survived include Minas, a legendary painter of New Julfa in Iran, and Ter Stepanos, also from New Julfa, responsible for manuscript illuminations from the mid-17th century and large paintings in the Cathedral of New Julfa. The wealthy merchants, artisans, and elites in general in the Iranian–Armenian community were the main consumers of this new type of art. No longer did painters require the patronage of the king, noblemen or clergy. The merchants of New Julfa and other cities in Iran eventually had to give way to newer representatives of capital. Iranian–Armenians never ceased to be agents of modernization in Iran, especially in the sphere of fine arts. In architecture, music, theatre, and other artistic fields Iranian–Armenians were always part of the vanguard. Their high level of urbanization, increased international contacts, integration in the wider Iranian society, and ethnic ties with other Armenian communities, made them ideally suited to that role.