The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA. (not on view)
Location History:
The painting was held by Victor Goloubew in Paris until 1912. In 1914, Goloubew sold it through M. Meyer-Riefstahl to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The accession date was June 4, 1914.
The painting is a portrait of 'Nadir Shah Afshar,' who was one of the most important and powerful rulers in the modern history of Iran. Nadir Shah ruled from 1736 until he was assassinated in 1747. He fought in many battles and succeeded in expelling the Afghans who had overthrown the Safavid dynasty, while also repelled threats from the Ottoman and Russian Empires along Iran’s borders. He also led a military campaign in which he invaded the Mughal Empire in India in 1739 and defeated the Mughal army at the Battle of Karnal.
This portrait of Nadir Shah, by Muhammad Ali Naqqashbashi, clearly depicts a battle taking place in the background. It is difficult to identify which battle it represents specifically due to the lack of sufficient historical information about the painting and the artist Muhammad Ali Naqqashbashi.
The painting depicts Nadir Shah Afshar mounted on his gray horse in a dynamic pose, with the horse raising its front legs. Nadir Shah wears a red jewel-encrusted hat decorated with a large black feather. This is the four-pointed hat that became a symbol of him and the Afsharid dynasty. He wears a pink garment, (which was most likely originally dark red, as traces of the original color can still be seen in some areas, but it has faded and turned pink over time.) He wears several necklaces around his neck, while holding a short mace in his right hand and the horse’s reins in his left hand, with a decorated quiver of arrows hanging at his right side.
In addition to the jewels adorning the Shah’s hat and the jewelry around his neck, the horse’s bridle, saddle, and quiver are also decorated with jewels, gold, and precious stones, emphasizing the Shah’s wealth and power.
In the background of the painting, green hills surround a full scale battle. Horsemen and soldiers fight with swords and arrows, while bodies are scattered across the ground. On the far right of the painting, an entire city is engulfed in flames, with fire and smoke rising from it. A group of cannons is positioned between the two scenes, further emphasizing the Shah’s military power and control.
Very little is known about Muhammad Ali, and the attribution of this painting to him remains uncertain. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where the painting is housed, also lists the attribution as “Possibly by: Muhammad Ali ibn Abd al-Bayg ibn Ali Quli Jabbadar.”
This exquisite equestrian portrait of Nadir Shah Afshar is a striking synthesis of imperial grandeur, martial dynamism, and refined Persianate miniature aesthetics. The ruler occupies the visual foreground with commanding composure, mounted upon a powerful grey steed captured in a moment of animated movement. His richly ornamented garments, jeweled accessories, elaborate headgear, and finely decorated saddle communicate authority, wealth, and aristocratic distinction. In his hand, he carries a weapon, subtly reinforcing his identity as a warrior and conqueror.
Behind him unfolds a dramatic landscape of conflict: mounted soldiers, fallen figures, architecture, trees, and drifting smoke create a narrative panorama of battle. The contrast between Nadir Shah’s poised stillness and the turbulent action behind him is particularly compelling. The painting therefore functions not merely as a portrait, but as a visual proclamation of sovereignty, military prowess, and royal legitimacy. Its meticulous detailing, flattened yet rhythmically composed perspective, delicate palette, and symbolic arrangement embody the sophisticated visual language of 18th-century Persian and Indo-Persian court painting.
