The Times of Israel Daily Briefing Raising the curtain on Picassos and other veiled masterpieces in Iran
11 snips
Apr 2, 2026 Rossella Tercatin, religion and archaeology correspondent who reports on cultural and historical stories, explores Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art’s hidden masterpieces assembled by Queen Farah. She traces how works were secreted after 1979, which pieces have surfaced, and efforts to preserve them. She also introduces a new Haggadah that highlights Egyptian cultural and linguistic links to the Exodus story.
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How Queen Farah Built Tehran’s Hidden Masterpiece Collection
- The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art houses major Western masterpieces assembled by Queen Farah before the 1979 revolution.
- Farah used her art degree and 1970s oil wealth to buy works by Picasso, Pollock, Warhol, Chagall and invite artists to Tehran, then opened the museum in 1977.
Andy Warhol’s Portrait Slashed During The Revolution
- Andy Warhol visited Tehran and produced works for Queen Farah, including a portrait that was later slashed during the revolution.
- Warhol was initially shy at a White House meeting but eventually traveled to Tehran and interacted personally with the queen.
Staff Risked Everything To Save The Collection
- Museum staff risked their lives in 1979 to protect the collection, refusing to open doors to rioters and keeping works in vaults.
- Those preservation efforts likely saved most of the collection, which later remained largely intact in subterranean storage.
