Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of research in art, faculty of art, shahed university,,tehran, iran
2
Department of Painting, Faculty of Art, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
3
Department of research in art, faculty of art, shahed university,tehran, iran
Abstract
At the heart of “Melody of Affection” by Mahmoud Farshchian lies the captivating and spiritually charged image of a young, graceful woman whose delicate performance on the harp enchants, soothes, and unites all living beings around her. In this painting, she is not merely a musician but the embodiment of pure harmony—a living symbol of compassion that transcends human boundaries of the cosmos. Her music flows as an invisible yet powerful energy, embracing every creature of creation with maternal tenderness and divine empathy. The woman thus emerges as a “universal mother,” the eternal source and sustainer of life, representing fertility, growth, and the mystery of creation through a balanced synthesis of opposites—light and darkness, motion and stillness, heaven and earth, spirit and matter.This study, for the first time, seeks to explore the archetype of the harp-playing woman in “Melody of Affection” through the mythological and psychological framework of Carl Gustav Jung’s analytical psychology. The present study seeks to answer the question: What are the manifestations of the great archetype of the primal mother in Farshchian's painting "Navae Mehr"? The primary objective of the research is to identify, analyze, and interpret the archetypal symbols embodied in Farshchian’s artistic language and to trace their connections to ancient mythological traditions and the collective unconscious. By decoding the relationship between the painting’s composition, its symbolic layers,and its aesthetic harmony, the study aims to reveal the underlying philosophical and spiritual messages concealed within this artwork—messages that express the artist’s inner vision of the sacred feminine and the timeless human longing for unity with nature.Methodologically, the research is theoretical in nature and employs a descriptive–analytical approach. Data have been obtained through comprehensive library studies, iconographic observation, and interpretive analysis of the painting itself. The approach is qualitative, relying on symbolic comparison and archetypal interpretation rather than quantitative measurement. Drawing upon Jung’s theory of archetypes—particularly his ideas of the “Great Mother,” the “Earth Goddess,” and the “Anima”—the study places Farshchian’s harp-playing woman within the broader spectrum of mythological archetypes that express the eternal feminine principle in art and psychology.Findings indicate that, from Jung’s interpretive perspective, features such as maternal affection, spiritual power, fertility, and love embodied by the harp-playing woman represent the archetype of the Great Primordial Mother—a sacred figure symbolizing the rhythm of birth, death, and renewal that governs existence. Through the magical resonance of her music, she revives what Jung describes as the “dormant forces of nature,” awakening harmony between the material and the spiritual worlds.Ultimately, Farshchian’s“Melody of Affection” can be regarded as a visual hymn to motherhood, creation, and the sacred unity of all beings. The harp serves as a metaphor for cosmic vibration, while the artist’s imagery transforms sound into a vision of divine beauty. The painting transcends individual emotion to reach a universal level of symbolism, portraying a divine mother figure who encompasses every manifestation of creation—embodying the eternal source of existence, the harmony of the cosmos, and the ceaseless blossoming of life itself.
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