"Empress of the Arts"
Page created by Darius Kadivar
received through e-mail
Empress
Farah's
deep interest and personal involvement in the arts have been largely responsible for
In the late
fifties
the
"Shy Art Student"
in
Parliament deputies, senators, ministers, ambassador, lawyers, judges etc., women were in all high national and local instances and occupied important positions in all areas of the administration. The emancipation of women as well as the economic and social reforms, which took place deeply, modified the structures of Iranian society. As Third Wife of the Shah ( succeeding to Fawzia, and Soraya) She was the only one to be ever crowned Empress.
Art Medal of the Empress, The Institute for the Intellectual Develpoment of Children, the Royal Couple congradulating the legendary Russian Dancer Rudolf Nureyev and Co-Dancer Fontaine after a performance at Roudaki Hall.
1970's.
The former Art Student in
(Left Top ) Andy Warhol and
"Farah"
Painting, ( Left Bottom) November 1959 Paris Yves Saint Laurent and Farah Diba, Center French Star Catherine Deneuve Shows Off with an Yves Saint Laurent Robe for Helmut Newton in front of an official portrait of the Coronation of 1967.
.
©
Helmut Newton
Right
Farah Diba
The unknown Art student in Paris and soon to become Empress leaves Christian Dior
During the numerous State visits of the Empress to the United States, Soviet Union, Holland,West Germany ( where her shortcut hairstyle was to be copied ) or to Turkey where the Royal Couple were particularily appreciated often appearing in the Turkish Peoples magazines.
The New Persian Queen on World magazine covers
As one of the most Elegant couples of the 1960's the Shah and Shahbanou were a subject of scrutiny for photographs especially during their State visits, often stealing the Show to their hosts as was the case during their State visits to the Kennedy's in the early 1960's
Left The Royal couple on a State visit to Washington DC with the Kennedys and Left to Right Empress Farah, and the Queens of Netherlands Juliana, Charlotte, and Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain mid 1960's.
The Empress' sense of communication, availability and simplicity was also earning her fame as
"The Working Empress
"
She was also behind the creation of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children known as
"Kanun va Parvaresh"
which was later to open a Film section which were to propulse some of the future Iranian Film Directors such as the famed Abbas Kiarostami among others.
Among the various cultural achievments under the patronage of the Empress one can note that of the Restoration of Old Palaces such as Golestan, or Saadabaad, but also National monuments from Shiraz' Persepolis to Isfahans Tchehel Setoun. The Restoration of an Old Caravansarai, into a Hotel known as Hotel Shah Abbas was also to become a favorite place for tourists visiting the
The Beautiful Shah Abbas Hotel in
Also the completion of the Roudaki Hall Opera House in 1967, nearly ten years in the building, filled a major gap in
Maurice
Béjart
performance at the Roudaki Hall (Center) in 1971.
The Persian Ballet was to actually thrive under the Pahlavi Era (photo coutrtesy Nima Kiann of Les Ballets Persans ) as seen here "Bijan and Manijeh" a classical ballet choreographed by Aida Ahmadzadeh
By contrast to the Hall's overpowering vertical exterior, its horseshoe theater within has the cozy, white-and-gold, red-plush air of a 19th century European opera house, complete with two tiers of boxes and gallery above. In 1966 Robert de Warren was appointed artistic director of the National Company, which performs at "Roudaki Hall Opera House" in
The Empress seen by modern Artist Mac Avoy 1977.
The Roudaki Hall was also to host the International Film Festival of Teheran and its Famous Golden Ibex was to honor the Film profession. Orson Welles was to recieve a particular tribute and Life Achievement Golden Ibex Award in the mid Seventies for the his entire carreer.
The Golden Ibex the Persian equivalent of the Oscars
was created in the early 1970's, and Posters
of the Shiraz Festival of Arts and Ballets Performances at Roudaki Hall
The Shiraz Festival of Arts was also to become a ceter of attraction for Iranian and International Artists. Choreographer Peter Brook and other famed Avant Garde works of artists such as Berthold Brecht and Karlheinz Stockhausen compositions were to performe at this festival.
In this Autumn 1995 picture, Farah Pahlavi
is seen
at the Sorbonne on the occasion of the Bicentenial of the Institute of
The Empress contribution to the World of Arts has been recognized over the years. She is one of the Rare Royal honorary member of the
Authors Notes:
It should be noted that the Empress played no major political role during the Reign of her husband Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, her actions were clearly defined and limited by the Constitution and merely focused in the fields of Arts, Education and Social Welfare and Health (her work particularily in trying to irradicate Leprosy as well as help the victims of this disease to be accepted by the society was extremly important). As often during the frequent unfortunate earthquakes that hit
Special Thanks to Nima Kiann of Les Ballets PersansWebsites for the pictures and information regarding Roudaki Hall Ballet Performances and the Excellent Persepolis and Coronation Ceremonies as well as the Empress Farah's Official Website for the Historic and biographical feedbacks.