Meshkinfam Museum of Art; A Trip through History

The name “Shiraz” is familiar to anyone who has had a glance at the history of Iran. Some of the historical monuments of this city date back more than 2500 years ago, but many historical monuments of later periods can also be seen in Shiraz. Some of the museums of this city, which have been established in the heart of historical buildings, narrate part of the history and culture of the city. “Meshkinfam Museum of Art” in Shiraz houses many of these features.

When visiting this museum, in addition to seeing beautiful and eye-catching works, tourists will be present in an old and spectacular house, i.e. “Forough Al-Molk House”, which was built in the early 20th century and was inscribed in the list of Iran’s national heritage in 1998.

History of Meshkinfam Museum of Art of Shiraz

Forough al-Molk Mansion, which is known today as Meshkinfam Museum of Art, is about 100 years old. The construction of this building was completed in 1931 over an area of 1020 square meters.

Having initially been built as a residential house, it changed its use several times during its lifetime. It was used as a primary school from 1948 to the mid-1970s, and in 2002, it became the Fars Museum of Contemporary Art. This museum is now known as the “Meshkinfam Museum of Art”.

In addition to the works of three generations of the "Meshkinfam" family, the works of many artists of the Fars province are also displayed in different parts of this museum. Some of these works have been donated to the museum by their owners, while some others have been donated by those interested in historical works.

Architecture of the Meshkinfam Museum of Art

This mansion comprises various parts such as a guard house, kitchen, stables, and two residential buildings. This house has been built on three floors and two exterior and interior parts. Two separate courtyards, a Shahneshin (alcove), and a Hammam (bathhouse) are other parts of this mansion.

There are two five-door rooms in the north and south of the building. The main hall and a room called "Shahneshin" can be seen in the northwest part of the mansion, which has windows decorated with girih tiles. Shahneshin is connected to the interior part by means of an octagonal cistern.

Brick and plaster were the main materials used for building this historical mansion. Brick decorations, tiling, various paintings, and motifs on stone have been used to decorate the building. The paintings on the ceiling were inspired by the artworks of the Zand Dynasty era (mid-18th century). A special type of mirror work can be seen in the old furniture of the building. This furniture is located in an old room along with a table, heater, chest, showcase, old plates, inlaid boxes, and several vases.

Artifacts Displayed in the Meshkinfam Museum of Art

The artifacts that are on display in this museum had been collected by Hasan Meshkinfam who was the owner of the museum, over a period of more than half a century. The museum has two galleries of "Meshkinfam Family Art Works" and "Works of Art of Contemporary Artists of Fars Province". The works of the museum are displayed according to the type of work, technique, and period of creation in such sections as sculpture and relief, calligraphy, painting, and visual arts.

In the sculpture and relief section, the works of Habib Meshkinfam (1915 to 2001 AD) can be seen on various stones, including marble. These motifs have been calligraphed and executed in two ways, deep and raised. In the painting section, the works of 30 artists who were trained in three different generations have been put on display.

The library of the museum contains hundreds of books, specialized magazines, and newspaper clippings in the field of artistic activities as well as hundreds of cards, brochures, posters, and catalogs related to artistic events, in addition to, an archive of tapes, films, and documents containing interviews with prominent artists of Fars and Iran, film reports on exhibitions and Art events, artistic and literary meetings and gatherings, the life and works of great artists of the world, and museums and important art centers of the world.