Mozaffar Shahedi

Mirza Mohammad Khan Qaffarri known as Kamalolmolk, one of the most famous painters of Iran, and son of Mirza Reza Khan Qaffari was born in 1841 in Kashan. His father and his uncle Mirza Aboul Hassan Qaffari were among the leading painters of Qajar period.

Following his primary education in Kashan, when he was only 13, Mohammad left for Darolfonun in Tehran, to continue painting. The teacher of painting at Darolfonun was Mozayyan-od-dowleh, being the painter of Nasseraddin Shah's court and holder of the title "Naqqash Bashi". Due to his exceptional enthusiasm and talent, Mirza Mohammad made great improvement in painting and became famous in a very short time. High ranking men of Qajar court refered to him for a portrait of themselves. Meanwhile, Nasseraddin Shah impressed by his taste, appointed him as a valet and Naqqashbashi. This provided him a good opportunity to create many fine paintings.

Mohammad Qaffarri, Naqqashbashi of the court was entitled Kamalolmolk by Nasseraddin Shah in 1893. At this time he finished one of his masterpieces Talare Ayeneh (hall of mirrors). In 1897 one year after the death of Nasseraddin Shah, he went to Europe for three years to study the works of great European painters at the museums of Florence, Louvre and Versailles, and to restore some of them. During these years he had acquired great experiences; Mozaffaraddin Shah in his first visit to Europe in 1898 asked him to return to Iran.

He started the work by Mozaffaraddin Shah's order but for the corrupt air of the court and troubles caused by courtiers, he did not remain there more than five years and in 1903 he left Tehran for the Holy Shrines of Iraq, the outcome of which was many works including "The Baghdadi Fortune teller", "The Baghdadi Goldsmith and His Apprentice", "The Supreme Karbala Field" and "The Sleeping Arab".

In 1911, he retuned to Iran and founded the School of Fine Arts to improve painting in Iran. Simultaneous with this, he paid special attention to relief work, mosaic making and carpet weaving. He continued this until 1920 coup. Meanwhile the ministry of education supported him and his activities.

Following the coup, Kamalomolk did not confine himself to collaborate with Reza Khan, and even rejected to paint a portrait of Mohammad Reza, the then crown prince. This attitude of him and the jealousies and apportunistic views of some statesmen led to Reza Khans severe contact with him. The budget of the school was blocked and the troubles ended in his leaving the school for a village in Neishabur district.

In his letters to old friends, Kamal-ol-molk refers to the narrow-mindedness of courtiers and he prefers the lonely life in an arid desert to having relations with the dangerous men of the court.

However, Kamal-ol-molk the skillful and exceptional painter of Iran, renowned in patriotism, love of freedom, and morality lived his late days in his personal farm in Hossein Abad of Neishabur. He lost the sight of one of his eyes in an accident, and eventually died in August 18^th 1940 when he was Ninety-three. His resting place in Neishabur is visited by thousands of his devotees.