1922-2013

He was one of the first graduates of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran. At the time of his graduation an appreciation for Modern art was still to develop among both the intellectuals and the public. His earlier realistic approach gradually gave way to a more personal style, characterized by a simple and pure idiom. This phase which is characterized by an impressionistic expression was followed by the ultimate domination of stylized motifs. Henceforth, his paintings oscillate between two realistic and abstract extremes. With an instinctive eye for Persian motifs, he fills his landscapes and other subjects with patterns and ornaments using multiple brushstrokes. Like most of his contemporaries, his favorite subject matter is landscape and still life. His landscapes often depict rural scenes, with farmers, shepherds and country people working or resting in the heart of nature.
In the art of Esfandiari, as seen in the featured canvas, human being is conceived as a part of nature and in complete harmony with it. This aligns Esfandiari’s work with Persian traditional painting, with the same bright colours, although technically made with a modem approach. His favorite colors -purples, blues, greens, turquoise, orange, and gold yellow- both delineate the forms and define their colours; as happens in painting pottery. This technique makes some of h