Picasso, Monet, Warhol and Pollock in Tehran

April 6th, 2008

Farah Pahlavi, the queen of Iran, is still alive and well, but people are not talking about her much. Things changed when it was reported last month that “the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art has put on display an exhibition that art experts call the most important collection of modern Western art outside Europe and the United States.” In the 1970’s she collected great works of art - about 150 paintings - by Picasso, Monet, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, etc…

farah pahlavi coat mirror micheleroohani

I bought some old Paris Match magazines some years ago in Paris spanning from 1958 through 1969. It was interesting to see her on the cover from practically the minute she met the Shah in Paris. I put some of the photos from Paris Match together to share them with you.

farah diba pahlavi micheleroohani hotel crillon

She lived a Cinderella story that turned sour at the age of 41 after the Iranian revolution of 1979.

farah diba pahlavi micheleroohani crown bride tiara

In spite of my belief that monarchy is stupid in the 21st century, it seems like I can’t shake my affinity for this woman; the fact that we both went to the same school (Jeanne d’Arc of Tehran) and had to endure the same French nuns may not have much to do with it.

farah diba pahlavi micheleroohani 3 faces

The deposed queen has somehow survived the animosity that follows the Pahlavis wherever they go. At the minimum she should be applauded for amassing a collection of priceless art, as opposed to worthless shoes or stolen jewelry (see Queen Elizabeth and Imelda Marcos).

Her good reputation lasted way longer than her jewelry.

Posted by micheleroohani
Filed in art, culture, museum, news, painting, politics

12 Responses to “Picasso, Monet, Warhol and Pollock in Tehran”

  1. Marie-Ancolie Romanet Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 12:32 am

    Malgré tout ce que l’histoire véhicule, il nous appartient, individuellement, de faire la part des choses.
    La reine Farah Pahlavi, demeure pour moi une Femme avec un grand “F”, une personne qui a dû faire face à beaucoup d’ignominies et de souffrances morales terribles.
    J’ai un profond respect pour elle et une très grande admiration.
    Je suis très émue que vous ayez mis en ligne ces paris-Match que j’ai feuilletés quand j’étais enfant.
    Merci Michèle.

  2. Tamas Ungvari Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 1:41 am

    Dear Michele, art collecting cannot be a saving grace for anyone. The greatest art collector of the 20th century was Hermann Goering. Nothing should be taken out of context. No art is worth a bad system. The Hermitage in Communist Moscow was kept in order as an excuse for the government.

  3. philippe caralp Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 2:19 am

    Ainsi, Farah Pahlavi avait du goût en matière de peinture, mais un goût éclectique : Monet, Warhol, Pollock…Etablir un parallèle entre Farh Pahlavi et Hermann Goering est pour le moins surprenant. En effet, s’il en avait eu la possibilité, Goering n’aurait sûrement pas collectionné les oeuvres de Warhol et Pollock qu’il aurait rangées dans la catégorie de l’art “décadent”.
    Au demeurant, j’ai vu à la télévision il y a quelques mois une longue interview de cette femme. Je l’ai trouvée raisonnablement intelligente, parfois émouvante et encore très belle.

  4. philippe caralp Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 2:36 am

    “Art collecting cannot be a saving grace for anyone” I can’t agree with these words. Il y a d’abord les peintres que l’on collectionne. Renoir et Picasso n’ont pas le même arrière-plan contextuel. On peut donc se demander si l’on collectionne une oeuvre pour ce qu’elle vaut (ou ce qu’elle représente dans l’histoire de l’art) ou pour ce qu’elle est, pour l’émotion qu’elle fait naître en nous.
    Si l’on privilégie ce dernier point, je suis persuadé que l’art peut sauver (to be a saving grace) l’Homme.

  5. BMZ Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 7:29 am

    Right on Tamos Ungvari!

  6. Muhammad Sahimi Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 9:34 am

    Farah Pahlavi is no longer the Queen of Iran. There was a revolution in 1979 that toppled the monarchy in Iran for good. There is no monarchy any more to have a queen.

  7. Mojgan Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 10:58 am

    Dear Michele,
    your site is great , Your pictures and posts also!
    I think nowadays your vision is unique in all the world…

  8. irina Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 9:19 pm

    Merci pour les photos, chere Michele, mais je dois avouer que je suis completement en accord avec notre cher professeur.

  9. Marguerite Papineau Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 3:10 am

    Philippe Caralp’s answer to Tamas Ungvari answers in one way. I wonder why a person, such as Queen Farah Pahlavi is considered only on the art/culture level? She did so much for science, women, the handicapped, the lepers and so many more. Queen Farah HUMANIZED the regime if you will. And yes, Muhammad Sahimi, the monarchy is no more, but she is still “Queen” in my heart and in the hearts of many others.

  10. hadi Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 4:56 am

    I LOVE YOUR WORKS MY IRANIAN FRIEND

  11. askin Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    Although Koran says, “The place for those who exhibit beauty, is the paradise”, Iran, now, is covering up her women and not letting them exhibit their beauty. Who is right? The Koran or Iran?

    Askin Ozcan
    Author of
    “SMALL MIRACLES”, “WISDOM IN SMILE”,
    “LIGHTNING AND A BOUQUET OF ROSES” and other books.

  12. lili Says:
    April 10th, 2008 at 9:35 am

    wow . I love your work & I have the same opinion about Queen farah pahlavi.

    can I link u ?

    lili