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Isfahani [Isfahani].
Persian family of painters. They were the foremost specialists in painted and varnished (‘lacquered’) objects (see ISLAMIC ART, §VIII, 10) in 19th-century Iran. Their work is marked by meticulous technique, minute detail and delicate finish, and their subjects, such as variations on the theme of the Holy Family, are often inspired by the European pictures and prints that were flooding into Iran at the time. The first known member of the family was Aqa Baba. His elder son, (1) Najaf `Ali, set the high standards that were passed to other members of the family. His younger brother (2) Muhammad Isma`il was the most brilliant and original member of the family and became a Painter Laureate (Pers. naqqash-bashi) of the Qajar dynasty (reg 1779–1924). Najaf `Ali’s three sons, Muhammad Kazim (d c. 1885), Ja`far and Ahmad, who were active until the 1880s, also painted varnished objects, as did Muhammad Isma`il’s son Haydar `Ali ( fl 1902–19). The following members have entries:
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