Collector guide · 7 min
Schools of Persian miniature painting
Editorial team · updated 2026-09-29
Early schools
Painting centres at Tabriz, Shiraz and Herat developed distinct styles in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Safavid and later
Safavid Tabriz and later Isfahan produced single-page works and albums; Qajar painting added oil painting and lacquer.
Today
Contemporary painters, especially in Isfahan, work in both traditional and new styles. Attribution to a ‘school’ is always a judgement.
Related photographs
Representative photographs, not of any specific catalogued object. Sources on the credits page.