Naser al-Din Shah
Possibly by Luigi Pesce Italian
Person in photograph Naser od-Din Shah Iranian
Not on view
This photograph demonstrates what the medium brought to the art of portraiture-a certain personal and candid quality. Here, although Nasir al-Din Shah (r. 1848-96) appears in a costume he wears in more formal portraits, the pose and expression adopted in this photograph are more relaxed. He is shown outdoors, seated rather than standing, and leaning back in a chair rather than sitting upright. One hand lies casually in his lap, the other is placed on his hip. This type of photograph reflects Nasir al-Din's interest in recording the private, daily life of his household in addition to using photography to capture the official aspects of the court. He was a photographer himself and among his favorite subjects were members of his family and personal harem.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
