Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

Examining and Identifying the Components of Self Taught Expression in Qajar Coffeehouse Paintings

https://doi.org/10.22034/jaco.2026.551402.1499
Volume 14, Issue 52
Summer 2026
Pages 54-61
Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Parisa Golaghaei 1
Javad Aghajani Keshteli 1
Mahmoud Ashari 2
Hojatollah Amani 3

1 Department of Art Studies, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Science and Art, Yazd, Iran

2 Department of Handicrafts, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Painting, Faculty of Art & Architecture, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Coffeehouse painting, as an independent stream of Iranian popular art, is a manifestation of self-taught artistic practice and reflects the cultural and religious identity of its society. Despite numerous studies on the history and themes of this tradition, the components of self-taught expression within its visual structure have received comparatively limited scholarly attention. This study aims to identify and systematically analyze the components of self-taught expression in coffeehouse paintings in the Qajar Period, in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the artistic and cultural characteristics of this tradition. This research adopts a descriptive-analytical and developmental approach. The sample works were purposively selected from four prominent coffeehouse painters to encompass a diversity of religious, epic, and folkloric themes. The methodological framework combines content analysis, case study, and hermeneutic interpretation. Data were analyzed qualitatively, leading to the extraction of key components of self-taught expression. These include: departure from realism, simultaneous narrative composition, the use of intense, high-chroma colors, shifting viewpoints, and the absence of classical proportions. The components were then organized into a structured analytical table. The analysis reveals that coffeehouse painters, relying on lived experience and individual creativity, deviated from classical rules of perspective and proportion. Instead, they employed a hierarchical perspective and expressive approaches. The concurrent presence of multiple narratives, shifting viewpoints, the symbolic and exaggerated use of color and light, and the disregard for natural anatomical and spatial proportions all signify a departure from realism and a distinct tendency toward vivid, high-chroma palettes.

Keywords

Self Taught Art
Components of Self Taught Expression
Coffeehouse Painting
Qajar Painting
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