Mir Sayyid Ali

Mir Sayyid Ali (Tabriz, 1510–1572) was a Persian illustrator and painter of miniatures.

Born in Tabriz, Mir Seyyed Ali was the son of artist Mir Musavvir. Historian and chronicler Qazi Ahmed said that the son was more talented than his father, but the impact of Mir Musavvir did influence his work.

Modern research suggests that Mir Sayyid Ali took part in the illustration of the famous Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp created in 1525–48 for Shah Tahmasp I (1514–76). Two miniatures in it are attributed to Seyed Ali's. The next step was his involvement in the creation of the lavish illustrations for the manuscript of Khamsa of Nizami ("Five poems") created by the best artists of the Shah kitabhane in 1539–43 by order of Shah Tahmasp. Of the 14 miniatures his brush is credited with four, among them "Layla and Majnun", which bears the signature of the artist. The period around 1540, contains two remarkable works of the master: a picture of the elegant young man holding a letter disclosed, and a diptych (double frontispiece) for the Khamsa of Nizami with "nomad camp of nomads" on one sheet and "Evening Life Palace" on the other.

In the 1540s, the Shah Tahmasp became increasingly orthodox and grew to reject artistic representations of living creatures. He lost interest in the former book miniature, and eventually issued an edict banning secular images throughout the Persian Empire. Artists of his court, including Mir Sayyid Ali, dispersed in all directions. Most took refuge at the court of Shah Tahmasp's nephew, Sultan Ibrahim Mirza.

Meanwhile, the Mughal emperor Humayun after unsuccessful battles with Sher Shah Suri, lost his throne, and in 1543 arrived in Persia, where Shah Tahmasp gave him a warm welcome and the highest protection. Followed by countless feasts on which Tahmasp persuaded Sunni Humayun to go to the Shiite faith. While Humayun was staying in Tabriz, he became acquainted with the artists, was fascinated by their works, and two of them are invited to the service to him, wanting to create a library-like master of Tabriz. These artists were Abd al-Samad and Mir Musavvir. However, for some reason instead of Mir Musavvir, the service went to his son Mir Sayyid Ali.

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