Nasir al Din Shah in a royal banquet arranged at Gulestan Palace gardens

The painting given above is a piece of work by Yahya Ghaffari, a famous artist from the Ghaffari clan which had produced generations of artists and governors in Iran. Known for his talent in both European and traditional Persian art, Yahya Ghaffari was the court painter of the Qajar ruler, Nasir al Din Shah. The painting above depicts Nasir al Din Shah at a royal banquet arranged in the famed Golestan Palace gardens which is now a UNESCO world heritage site. The scence is set in the Narenjestan (Orangerie), a section of the Golestan Palace gardens which no longer exists. The setting of the picture is inside a huge tent set up for the occasion. Inside it are rows of dining tables and chairs, designed in the classic European style, placed on either sides. Behind them are rows of officials and dignitaries, who bow deeply in the presence of the Shah. The Shah is shown at the left corner, clad in rich red robe worn over a blue tunic paired with black trousers and shoes, with a black Kolah (Astrakhan lambskin hat) over his head, adored by a white feathered crown jewel at its center. Beside the chairs are tall, thin trees which touch the ceiling of the massive tent. On the left side are tent walls coloured in orangish-amber tones, decorated with glassware hangings and portraits, with large glass lattice windows which offer an evening time view of the garden. The right tent wall follows the same pattern of decoration, distinguished only by blue and golden yellow tent clothes beautified with traditional Persian geometric designs in green. From the ceiling of the tent hang tall crystal chandeliers and torchéres, one of which emit a blue light glowing from it. On the tables are placed beautifully arranged plates of food, fruits and sweetmeats, with challices and vessels of drink on smaller tables at the end (in lower foreground). Rows of aesthetic glass candlestands adore the tables. Separating the two rows is a stream which flows into a small fountain (lower foreground). The painting is a fine example of Ghaffari's style, mixing elements of European realism with mostly Persian aesthetics to showcase the majesty, power and grandeur associated with the Shah and his court.