THE PAINTING QAJAR IRAN, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY; THE TILES SPAIN, PROBABLY 16TH CENTURY

The arch shape of this painting suggests it was intended for a niche in an architectural setting, probably a palace or pavilion. The painting would have been displayed as part of a larger decorative program along with other scenes depicting Joseph’s narrative, a story which was highly loved and re-told throughout the development of Persian painting, but particularly in Qajar oil paintings. The inclusion of the Spanish tiles in the lower part of the frame is typical of the European vogue for Orientalism in the late 19th century.