Abstract
The development of religious educational books for children and adolescents has a long-standing history in Iran. Studying the illustrations in these books is important because their visual language has undergone significant transformation over time. Accordingly, this research examines the historical evolution of religious textbook illustrations in Iran, from their emergence in the late Qajar era to the present day. The research corpus consists of primary level religious textbooks in Iran that contain illustrations. The analytical framework focuses on two main aspects: the visual style and the execution techniques used by illustrators. The research follows a descriptive–analytical method, and data collection has been carried out through both library-based and field investigations.
The central question explored in this study is: What transformations in visual style and execution techniques have occurred in the illustration of children’s and adolescents’ religious textbooks in Iran from the Qajar period to contemporary times?
Findings show that these illustrations can be divided into five major periods, each characterized by distinct visual styles and increasingly evident execution methods compared with the periods before and after it. These periods include:
1. early Qajar era to 1897 (1276 SH),
2. 1897–1966 (1276–1345 SH),
3. 1966–1979 (1345–1357 SH),
4. 1979–1998 (1358–1377 SH),
5. 1999–2021 (1378–1400 SH).
Each period demonstrates clear stylistic and technical shifts.
The earliest illustrations were generally produced without standardized book formats and appeared mostly in festive religious print materials. Gradually, black and white and single color printing became common. After 1979, multi color illustrations with a more youthful and expressive character became prevalent. From 1999 onward, illustrations increased significantly in proportion to text, accompanied by a wide variety of visual styles and artistic techniques.