Last updated: 17 Dec 2024
Kooye Ostadan
March 1987
Brush and paper
Watercolour
Landscape
Impressionism
We lived in this campus belonging to Isfahan University of Technology from 1984 to 1989. The painting is showing our neighbours house in a rainy Spring day.
1. Medium: Watercolor on paper
2. Shapes and objects: A mountainous landscape with a road or path in the foreground. Modern cubic buildings on the right side of the painting. A body of water (possibly a lake or river) in the middle ground. Dramatic mountains in the background. Dark, stormy clouds in the sky.
3. Colours: Predominantly muted tones. Greys and browns for the mountains and sky. Yellow-beige for the buildings. Green for vegetation. Blue-grey for the water. The overall palette suggests a moody, overcast atmosphere.
4. Narrative: This painting captures the juxtaposition of modern architecture against a dramatic natural landscape. The stark, geometric forms of the buildings contrast sharply with the organic shapes of the mountains and the fluidity of the water. The stormy sky adds a sense of tension or foreboding to the scene. There's a feeling of human encroachment into a powerful natural setting, perhaps commenting on the relationship between urban development and the environment. The winding road leads the viewer's eye through the composition, connecting the man-made elements with the natural world.
5. Original Artist: While this is an original work by Mehrdad Fahimi, the style and subject matter are reminiscent of the architectural landscapes of American painter Edward Hopper, particularly in the treatment of light and the sense of isolation in the buildings. However, the dramatic natural setting and the looser watercolor technique also bring to mind some of the later landscapes of J.M.W. Turner, especially in the rendering of the stormy sky and mountains.
Hopper's works can be found in major American museums, including the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Turner's paintings are prominently featured in the Tate Britain in London. While Fahimi's painting is clearly his own, it seems to blend influences from these artists, creating a unique interpretation of the interaction between modern architecture and dramatic natural landscapes.
Details
Type
artwork
Created At
11 May 2023