The painting above is a portrait of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah with Aziz Khan Mokri painted by Muhammad Hasan Afshar, a well known Iranian painter of the Qajar era. The painting shows Mokri (right), who was the Minister of War of the Qajar state from 1866-68, standing beside the little prince Mozaffar ad-Din Mirza (left), who became the Shah (king) of Iran in 1896. The artwork presents a beautiful showcasing of the features of traditional Persian miniature painting techniques- high ornamentation, symmetry, intricate detailing and flat, two dimensional appearance of the subject with a touch of European artistic element of shading accompanied by tincture of linear perspective. The theme aims at reflecting power, grandeur, royal patronage (from the side of Mozaffar ad-Din) and proximity with the royalty (from the side of Mokri)- an indirect statement of high rank and position in the royal court. Apart from this, the painting also gives off a glimpse into the spirit of the Qajar period- the revival and projection of Iranian pride and identity (in art, culture and polity) moving along with gradual adaptation to the modernism- then becoming prevalent with growing domination of European powers throughout the globe. This is reflected in their dressing in the portrait, which shows them adorned in a black, knee long tunic like military uniform with trousers, decorated with intricate floral designs on the borders in gold with bejeweled orders and decorations, accompanied by a blue sash, large golden epaulettes on the shoulder (in case of Mokri), black shoes with long, cylindrical black Kolahs (Persian fur hat) on their heads (predominant dress could of the Qajar court)- a retention of hhe aspects of Iranian culture and manner with European style and taste. In case of Mozaffar ad-Din, the Kolah carries a feathered crown jewel- a sign of royal status. As a piece of art, the portrait also replicates the fineness of Muhammad Hasan Afshar as a master of old traditional Persian printing, combining them with with stylizing elements of the Qajar era.
I think this painting is a really powerful and beautiful depiction of the present and future of Iran; the decorated Minister of War next to the little prince, later King. The image reflects a father-son dynamic that would have been important to those in the country. I find the backdrop to the portrait interesting as it is reminiscent of a drawn curtain, perhaps adding a theatrical element to the seriousness of the portrayal of two significant figures in history.
