In a message on Saturday, President of the academy Majid Shah-Hosseini expressed his condolences over the death of the renewed Iranian artist in a hospital in the United States.
Shah-Hosseini described Farshchian as a legendary painter and an everlasting figure of Iranian art, whose death has caused deep grief in the hearts of artists and cultural figures.
Farshchian, who was also a member of the Iranian Academy of Arts, was born in the city of Isfahan on 24 January 1930. His father, Gholamreza, was a Persian carpet merchant.
Farshchian's works are widely credited with modernizing Persian miniature rooted in Iranian cultural and religious themes. He combined classical forms with contemporary aesthetics, creating a distinct style that elevated Iranian painting onto the global stage.
Young Mahmoud showed an interest in arts quite early in life and studied under the guidance of masters Haji Mirza-Agha Emami and Isa Bahadori for several years.
After receiving his diploma from Isfahan's High School for the Fine Arts, Farshchian traveled to Europe to where he studied the works of Western masters of painting.
This exposure helped him refine a unique artistic voice that blends Persian mysticism with universal human themes.
He has a doctorate (grade 1 in arts) in Iranian painting and Islamic arts from the High Council of Culture and Art.
Upon his return to Iran, he began to work at the National Institute of Fine Arts and, in time, was appointed director of the Department of National Arts and professor at the University of Tehran's School of Fine Arts.
His pieces have been exhibited in more than 160 individual and group shows in Iran, Europe, America, and Asian countries. He has been awarded more than 10 prizes by various art institutes and cultural centers.
His paintings are held in collections at institutions including the British Library, Harvard University, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Among his most famous pieces are Ashura Afternoon, The Deer’s Grantor, The Fifth Day of Creation, and Kawthar.
In remarks dated to 1993, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said, “Each time I look at Mr. Farshchian’s painting—which he gave to me to look at a few years ago—I have cried. This is while my heart is filled with monodies of the morning and evening of Ashura.”
Condolences pour in
Several Iranian officials have sent messages of condolences on the legendary painter’s death.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Farshchian was not only a master of one of the most refined Iranian traditional arts but was also a bridge between the past and present, vividly portraying Iran’s spiritual heritage and aesthetic culture to the world.
His everlasting works, which constitute a significant part of the identity and mentality of Iranian culture and art, serve as a window into the depth of creation, history, and literature, through which the spirit of authentic Iranian art will always remain alive.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Eje'i, and government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani also sent separate messages of condolences.