Architecture as a Media for Representing Time in Painting: A Comparative Study of Spatial Structures in the Works of Junayd Baghdadi and Masaccio

Volume 14, Issue 51
Spring 2026
Pages 76-89

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Khatam University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Time, one of the most complex concepts in the history of human thought, has long been of interest to scholars across disciplines. This inherent complexity has made the philosophical representations of time in works of art a key topic in interdisciplinary studies. Understanding the mechanisms of these representations, while deepening our grasp of the worldviews that govern artistic eras, opens new ground for the philosophical analysis of works of art. The research examines the representation of time’s physical nature in 15th-century paintings. This study, which focuses on two artistic schools of the East and the West (Iranian painting centered on the works of Junayd Baghdadi and the Italian Renaissance with an emphasis on the works of Masaccio), highlights cultural differences in the perception of time and reveals philosophical-artistic connections. This fundamental research, with a qualitative-comparative approach, analyzes six prominent works by Junayd Baghdadi and Masaccio. The data were collected from available sources through library research, and the visual and semantic elements of the works were analyzed using a descriptive-analytical approach, with “architecture in painting” as the key medium. Finally, through comparative analysis, the similarities and differences in the attitudes of these two schools towards the concept of time were inferred. The comparative analysis of the works revealed two distinct systems of representation of the concept of time. In Western art (e.g., Massaccio), time is represented linearly and instantaneously, using techniques such as single-point perspective, realistic architecture, and physical depth, which reflect the Aristotelian and anthropocentric worldview of the Renaissance. In contrast, the Eastern school (Junayd Baghdadi), employing a spatial perspective, symbolic architecture, and simultaneous representation of events, presents time in a cyclical and transcendental form rooted in the wisdom of Ishrāqi and a mystical attitude. These two modes of representation, respectively, exhibit predictive correspondences with the concepts of Newtonian physics and Einsteinian relativity. By emphasizing the connection between philosophical worldviews and artistic expression, this research opens new horizons in interdisciplinary studies of the philosophy of art, the history of science, and visual semiotics.

Keywords

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