Abstract
The angel is one of the enduring and significant symbols in religious art and visual culture. In the Abrahamic religions, particularly Islam, angels are regarded as immaterial and luminous beings who carry out divine commands and mediate between the earthly and celestial realms. In Iranian art, the representation of angels has been influenced by religious beliefs, mystical thought, literary traditions, and the visual conventions of different historical periods. Consequently, the angel has functioned not only as a narrative figure but also as a symbolic representation of spirituality, sacredness, transcendence, divine presence, and the relationship between the visible and invisible realms. In contemporary Iranian religious painting, the representation of angels has been reinterpreted through the individual visual languages and artistic approaches of different painters.
Previous studies have examined the angel from various perspectives, including its historical development in Iranian painting, its religious and mystical meanings, its visual characteristics, and its representation in Iranian and Western artistic traditions. However, a comparative analysis of the conceptualization and visual structure of the angel in the works of Hassan Rouholamin and Abdolhamid Ghadirian has received limited attention. The present study therefore aims to examine the similarities and differences in the representation of the angel in the works of these two contemporary Iranian painters, with particular emphasis on its conceptual and visual characteristics. The main research question is:
What similarities and differences exist between the angel symbol in the paintings of Hassan Rouholamin and Abdolhamid Ghadirian in terms of conceptualization and visual structure?
This qualitative study employs a descriptive-analytical method with a comparative approach. Data were collected through library and online research, including the study of relevant books, articles, scholarly sources, and selected artworks. The research sample consists of six paintings, three by Hassan Rouholamin and three by Abdolhamid Ghadirian. The works were selected purposively based on the significant presence of the angelic figure or angelic symbolism and their suitability for examining the visual and symbolic characteristics of angels. The selected works were analyzed according to several visual components, including light, color, space, composition, the structure of the angelic figure, wings, fabrics, lines, and movement.
The findings demonstrate that, although both artists employ the angel as a symbolic link between the material and spiritual realms, they conceptualize and represent this symbol through distinct visual approaches. In Ghadirian’s works, angels are generally represented through luminous, ethereal, and collective forms. Their individual identities and anatomical details are often diminished, while their bodies and wings become integrated with light and the surrounding space. Light therefore functions not merely as an illuminating element but also as an essential component of the angel’s symbolic identity, emphasizing transcendence, spirituality, and the presence of the unseen. The angel in Ghadirian’s paintings can consequently be understood primarily as a manifestation of divine and metaphysical presence.
In contrast, Rouholamin generally represents angels as more embodied, identifiable, and active figures. Their anatomical structures, physical volume, wings, gestures, and movements are more clearly defined, allowing them to participate directly in the narrative structure of religious events. The wings frequently function as important symbolic and compositional elements and may suggest concepts such as protection, healing, guidance, liberation, and divine intervention. Through dramatic lighting, stronger contrasts, and a more tangible spatial structure, Rouholamin gives the angel a more active narrative and emotional role.
Therefore, although both artists use the angel to represent the relationship between the visible and invisible realms, their approaches differ in emphasis. Ghadirian primarily presents the angel as a manifestation of the presence of the unseen, characterized by light, abstraction, and spiritual atmosphere, whereas Rouholamin presents it as an embodied manifestation of the intervention and active agency of the unseen, characterized by physical structure, movement, narrative participation, and emotional expression. This distinction reflects the broader difference between Ghadirian’s luminous and contemplative visual language and Rouholamin’s narrative and epic-oriented approach.
Keywords: Contemporary Art, Religious Painting, Angel, Hassan Rouholamin, Abdolhamid Ghadirian.

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