Origin- Tehran, Iran, nineteenth century, Qajar era.
The above portrait is a work of Abu'l Hasan Ghaffari 'Sani ol Molk', a scion of the famous Ghaffari clan and renowned artist from Qajar era. Son of Mirza Mohammad Ghaffari 'Kamal ol Molk', he was a student of Mehr Ali, one of the finest court painters of Fath Ali Shah Qajar. During his apprenticeship, he acquired huge expertise and in 1842 an oil portrait of Mohammad Shah (Fath Ali 's succesor) earned him a position at the later's court.In 1846, Abu'l Hasan was sent to Italy to study paintings of European masters. In 1850, when Abu'l Hasan returned to Iran, he brought with him elements of European realism which began to be visible in his paintings. This has been pointed by scholars like Layla Sharifi, Adham Zargham and Hoda Zabolinehzhad. His skill and unique style caught the eye of Naser Al Din Shah who by then had succeeded to the throne of Iran. Soon, Abu'l Hasan began to get new opportunities and played an important role in important projects like 'Hezār O Yak Šab' (1853)- the Persian translation and adoption of 'The One Thousand and One Nights' during Naser Al Din Shah's reign which remains one the biggest artworks of Qajar era. In 1861, Abu'l Hasan was given the title 'Sani ol Molk' by Naser Al Din Shah as recognition of his works and talent.The above given artwork is a portrait of Naser Al Din Shah, which is among the several works of Sani ol Molk. The portrait shows the standing in full regal splendor, dressed in a lose legged lavender trousers, paired with traditional style black shoes and knee length 'qaba' (European style long coat) which is pale blue in colour. Over the qaba he wears a red 'kolijeh' (overcoat) adorned with gold paisley (boteh) and floral patterns) and two diamond encrusted brooches on either sides of the chest. Around his waist is a belt intricately dotted with diamonds and a black sword belt below it, decorated with floral designs if diamond. His left hand rests on the handle of a 'shamshir' (Persian curved blade sword) encased in ornate scabbard in silver, handing from his belt. His right hand is placed over an European style black coloured chair. Above his head is a 'koleh', adorned with a large aigrette feather adorned with diamonds. The ground below him I white and the wall below him green which turns yellowish moving above. The way clout has been applied with light and shade shows impact on European realism. Overall, the Shah's portrayal depicts a mix of European realism with Qajar stylization- a visual representation of the Qajar royalty.
This Qajar-era masterpiece uses opaque watercolor and ink on paper, blending traditional Persian miniature precision with European naturalistic modeling. Sani ol Molk employs delicate gouache layering, subtle chiaroscuro shading for realistic volume, painstaking detail on textiles, and intricate illuminated gold border ornamentation to project royal authority.
