Artists

Sadiq Bey Afshar was involved not only in fine art but in calligraphy, too (his name is also mentioned in among calligraphers of Shah Abbas palace).

During Shah Muhammad Khudabanda (1578-1587) he was the head of the library and on this occasion he named self as Sadiq - Kitabdar.  This library was a real Art Academy. Books were copied in these workshops, miniatures were created and technology for color and paper production was developed, perfect binds were made from art point of view. At the same time, specialists like calligrapher, ornamentalist (mosaic), gilding (muzahhib), painter (musavvir), cardboard (sahhaf) and leather binding (mujallid) had been trained here.

Sadiq bey worked in this position at the time of Shah Abbas I.

In work of Sadiq Bey written in Azerbaijani language Majmaul-khava the valuable information about activity of 480 poets, painters and calligraphers during the Safavids was collected. That work was an important source for the study both of Azerbaijani and Persian culture and art. The work was translated into Persian, and published in Tehran. Its pedagogical instructions “Qanun –as-Sovar” (“Laws of description”) dedicated to the method and practice of art became famous among the specialists. In addition, this work is invaluable for modern painters and restorers, as there was information about brush and paper that used by miniature painters for copying. 

It is known that Sadiq Bey drew portraits of Imam Gulu Khan, Teymur Khan Turkmen. Those portraits, as well as the Amir and Gazargi Dervish images are kept in the museums of Istanbul, Paris, Boston, St. Petersburg.

Sadiq Bey remained as talented portrait master in the history of miniature art of Azerbaijan.

Mikail Abdullayev worked for a long time as a graphic and theater painter. He is professor, Academician of the USSR Academy of Arts, laureate of International awards named after Jawaharlal Nehru, awards of Azerbaijan SSR, and other rewards. He graduated from Painting School named after Azim Azimzade in 1939, and in 1949 the Moscow State Art School named after Surikov.

In his pictures he described rich moral features of rural laborers during 1941 – 45, hard, anxious works in Abdullayev’s  Barley cultivator girl, moral features of woman of the twentieth century.

Works like Mingechevir Lights, Khachmaz girls, Astara tea cropping, In Azerbaijani steppes, Garabakh Girls, Lankaran woman collective farmer, Abseron women, Youth of the mother, Rice planting girls, etc. belong to author.

Works of Abdullayev are exhibited in the museums of the world. He had personal exhibitions in Delhi, London, Montreal, Moscow and other cities around the world.

Mikail Abdullayev was elected several times as deputy of Azerbaijan SSR Supreme Soviet.

Professor Mikail Abdullayev died on August 21, 2002 at the age of 81.

Rafiz Ismailov graduated from the Azerbaijan State Painting School in 1962, and the All-Union State Cinema Institute in Moscow in 1972. Since 1972 he works in “Azerbaijanfilm” film-studio. He is leading painter of many feature films, theater performances, a painter and director of animation films. R.Ismayılov is a designer - painter of several books, too. He is People\'s painter of Azerbaijan, and State Prize winner.

Arif Huseynov studied at the Painting School named after Azim Azimzade and then graduated from the Art Institute.

He has been working as painter more than 40 years. Till this period he was engaged in the machine and book graphics. So far he had the personal exhibitions in Moscow, Prague, Istanbul, Tokyo, and Baku.