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Lot Essay
More large-scale paintings of Fath 'Ali Shah (r. 1797-1834) survive than of any other Qajar monarch, a direct result of an enormous effort to replicate images of the ruler for display throughout his empire. This widespread reproduction was in part driven by the establishment of the Dar al-Funun, a school where students studied the arts, including the painting of portraits of the Shah and other court figures. Many of these later works were created by students who sought to honour Fath 'Ali Shah, venerating his image as a symbol of power and divinity. The later reproductions produced by these students or their followers reflect the idealised, official court style of the period.
This painting follows what Layla Diba describes as the "official metropolitan court style" (Layla S. Diba: Royal Persian Paintings, New York, 1998, p.183). It directly copies a work by Mihr 'Ali, the most celebrated of Fath 'Ali Shah's court artists, which is now in a private American collection. The original Mihr 'Ali painting depicted the Shah holding a bow and arrow; however, these were later painted out and replaced by beads in his hand. Our painting, which also shows the Shah holding beads, must have been painted after this adjustment was made.
These efforts to replicate the image of Fath 'Ali Shah demonstrate not only the importance of the ruler’s image in the Qajar period but also the artistic training and influence of institutions like the Dar al-Funun, where the skills of painting and reproduction were passed down to the next generations.
This painting follows what Layla Diba describes as the "official metropolitan court style" (Layla S. Diba: Royal Persian Paintings, New York, 1998, p.183). It directly copies a work by Mihr 'Ali, the most celebrated of Fath 'Ali Shah's court artists, which is now in a private American collection. The original Mihr 'Ali painting depicted the Shah holding a bow and arrow; however, these were later painted out and replaced by beads in his hand. Our painting, which also shows the Shah holding beads, must have been painted after this adjustment was made.
These efforts to replicate the image of Fath 'Ali Shah demonstrate not only the importance of the ruler’s image in the Qajar period but also the artistic training and influence of institutions like the Dar al-Funun, where the skills of painting and reproduction were passed down to the next generations.