Literary Interdisciplinary Research

Analysis of intertextual relationships between Sadegh Hedayat's works and Qasim Hajizadeh's paintings

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Majid Houshangi 1
sara bakhtiyari 2

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

2 MA, Art Research, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.30465/lir.2024.48914.1865
Abstract
Introduction:
Interdisciplinary studies, a subset of comparative studies, utilize approaches from various disciplines to explore common issues through an intertextual dialogue. These studies cover everything from artistic trends to different scientific and artistic contexts, gaining popularity as a research methodology. They end the soliloquy, isolation, and fragmentation of humanities, particularly literature, in relation to other arts and sciences. "Intertextuality" highlights how texts are not standalone but are composed of a collection of signs, speeches, and previous texts. This concept, originating from Bakhtin and Kristeva, was developed by Genette into transtextuality, outlining five types of text relations, one of which is "hypertextuality," where a text (B) is linked to a prior text (A) without interpretive intent.
Previous research on Hedayat's intertextuality includes studies on the connections between "The Blind Owl" and "Let's Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season," the influence of Hedayat on Sadegh Chubak's works, and intertextual analyses in contemporary Iranian paintings. However, no independent academic research has been conducted on the intertextual relationship between Hedayat's works and Hajizadeh's paintings, making this study innovative in its approach and subject.

Materials & Methods
In the 1960s, Julia Kristeva introduced intertextuality, influenced by Bakhtin and Saussure. Intertextuality suggests that texts are inherently dialogical, with meaning derived from a network of previous texts and signs. Genette further expanded this into transtextuality, focusing on all manifest and hidden relations between texts, with hypertextuality being one where a text (hypertext) relates to an earlier text (hypotext) without interpretation.
Ghasem Hajizadeh, born in 1947 in Lahijan, began painting with botanical illustrations and later through sign painting. Influenced by artists like Ardeshir Mohassess and Manouchehr Yektai, his works reflect a thematic and stylistic evolution from abstract to human portraiture. Hajizadeh's thematic focus can be categorized into nostalgia, contemporary ethnography, and celebrity portrayal, with a notable exhibition dedicated to Hedayat, presenting 18 paintings and 12 tile works themed around "The Blind Owl" and Hedayat's persona.

Discussion & Result
Analyzing the relationship between Hedayat's narratives and Hajizadeh's paintings involves looking at three main aspects: form, content, and the symbol system:

Formal Aspect: The influence of Hedayat's narratives on Hajizadeh's formal elements is evident in the choice of historical settings, seasonal motifs, and character portrayal. Hajizadeh's works often reflect a Qajar and early Pahlavi era ambiance, paralleling Hedayat's temporal contexts, with autumnal themes echoing the existential autumn in "The Blind Owl."
Content Aspect: Themes of loneliness, alienation, and critique of superstition in Hedayat's work are mirrored in Hajizadeh's paintings. The solitude of characters, particularly women depicted in isolation, reflects the existential and societal critique found in Hedayat's writings.
Symbolic Aspect: Hajizadeh uses symbols and motifs that resonate with Hedayat's thematic preoccupations, like the use of dark and cold colors to signify depression, loneliness, and the critique of societal norms.

Conclusion:
The intertextual relationship between Hedayat's works and Hajizadeh's paintings is multifaceted, influencing form, content, and symbolic representation. Hajizadeh's art not only reflects but also reinterprets Hedayat's critique of society, human existence, and cultural practices, making Hedayat's narratives a significant pre-text for Hajizadeh's visual storytelling. This study underscores how literature can profoundly shape visual arts, providing a rich field for further interdisciplinary research.

Keywords

Intertextuality
Gé
rard Genette
Shadegg Hedayat
Qasem Hajizadeh
painting
Subjects
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