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Sadiqi [Sadiqi; Sadiqi Beg; Sadiqi Beg Afshar]
(b Tabriz, 1533–4; d Isfahan, 1609–10). Persian calligrapher, painter, poet and chronicler. He came from a notable family of the Khudabandalu Turkoman tribe. At the age of 32 he turned to art, studying under the poet–calligrapher Mir San`i at Tabriz; in 1568 Sadiqi moved to the Safavid capital at Qazvin, where he studied painting with MUZAFFAR `ALI. Sadiqi rose quickly in the royal atelier. The last major manuscript produced for the Safavid ruler Tahmasp (reg 1524–76), a copy (London, BL, Or. MS. 12985) of Asadi’s Garshaspnama (‘Book of Garshasp’), dated 1573–4, has one painting (fol. 85v) attributed to Sadiqi, and he played a leading role in illustrating the incomplete copy (dispersed) of the Shahnama (‘Book of kings’) made for Isma`il II (reg 1576–8). The seven paintings ascribed to Sadiqi show such characteristics of his early style as distinct colouring, hard contours, flat architecture and rigid figure drawing. During the reign of Muhammad Khudabanda (reg 1578–88) Sadiqi drifted from the court and turned from manuscript illustration to single-page studies (e.g. Paris, Bib. N., Supp. Pers. 1171, and Boston, MA, Mus. F.A., 14.636). After the assassination of the Shah’s wife in 1579, the artist left for Gilan and Mazanderan, and two years later fought daringly at the Battle of Astarabad. Upon the accession of `Abbas I (reg 1588–1629), Sadiqi was appointed head of the royal library at Qazvin. He supervised at least one royal project, a monumental copy (Dublin, Chester Beatty Lib, Pers. MS. 277) of the Shahnama prepared for the Shah during the first decade of his reign, and the three surviving paintings attributed to Sadiqi (see ISLAMIC ART, fig. 128) show his debt to the work of RIZA. Sadiqi had the personal wealth to commission and illustrate a copy (Dumfries House, Strathclyde) of Kashifi’s Anvar-i Suhayli (‘Lights of Canopus’) in 1593. Its 107 illustrations, all attributed to Sadiqi, are remarkable depictions of daily life. Sadiqi was dismissed from the office of librarian c. 1596–7, but retained his title and salary. He devoted his later years to writing, and his works are informative sources about Safavid artists, techniques of painting and his own life.
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