Portrait of Fath 'Ali Shah thumbnail 1
Portrait of Fath 'Ali Shah thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Islamic Middle East, Room 42, The Jameel Gallery

Portrait of Fath 'Ali Shah

Oil Painting
1797-1834 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Painting in oils was introduced into Iran after 1600, when the country had strong commercial links with Europe. The technique seems to have continued in use during the troubled period that followed the Afghan invasion in 1722. It burst back into life under the Qajar dynasty, who re-united Iran in the 1780s and 1790s. The first great patron was the second ruler of the dynasty, Fath 'Ali Shah (reigned 1797-1834), who had numerous pictures of himself made for his own palaces and as diplomatic gifts. The founder of the dynasty, his uncle Agha Muhammad Shah, had been castrated as a child by his father's enemies and was considered repulsively ugly. Fath 'Ali Shah therefore had himself portrayed as a virile, youthful man, with a slim waist and a magnificent beard.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePortrait of Fath 'Ali Shah
Materials and techniques
Oil on canvas
Brief description
Full-length portrait of the Qajar ruler Fath 'Ali Shah, probably by 'Abdallah Khan. Iran, probably Tehran, 1797-1834.
Physical description
Full-length portrait of the Qajar ruler Fath 'Ali Shah, probably by 'Abdallah Khan. Iran, probably Tehran, 1797-1834.
Dimensions
  • Height: 233.9cm
  • Width: 118.4cm
Style
Gallery label
  • Jameel Gallery Portrait of Fath Ali Shah Iran, probably Tehran 1800-30 The painting of portraits in oils was introduced into Iran in the 17th century, when the country had strong links with Europe. The tradition survived the political disturbances of the 18th century, and burst back into life under the Qajar dynasty. Fath Ali Shah had numerous portraits of himself made for his own palaces and as diplomatic gifts. Oil on calico. Signed by Abdullah Khan Museum no. 707-1876(Jameel Gallery)
  • PORTRAIT Portrait of Fath Ali Shah by Abdullah Khan. PERSIAN; early 19th century. Oil on calico. From the Shah's Palace, Teheran.
  • Painting. Oil on calico. Full-length portrait of Fath Ali Shah by Abdullah Khan. From the Shah's palace at Tehran. Persian. Early 19th century. H. 7ft 7in, W. 3ft 9in. Bought 3l 6s.(Inventory of Art Objects 1876-78)
Object history
When the painting was purchased, it was described as being, "From the Shah's palace at Tehran."

NOTE: This painting was not shown at the first venue of the Palace and Mosque exhibition (National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC).
Historical context
"When a new dynasty, the Qajars, emerged at the end of the eighteenth century, portraits in oils began to assume a highly political function. The founder of the dynasty, Agha Muhammad (died 1797), had been castrated as youth by his father’s enemies, and his successor, Fath ‘Ali Shah (ruled 1797-1834), was keen to emphasize his masculinity. As a way of doing this, he commissioned numerous portraits of himself that showed him as slim-waisted, youthful and heavily bearded ... Some were sent abroad as diplomatic gifts, and many were placed in his palaces, where they were flanked by paintings showing either an enormous entourage, including many of his sons and grandsons, or harem women engaged in the entertainment of their lord ..."
Tim Stanley, Palace and Mosque, p.72
Association
Summary
Painting in oils was introduced into Iran after 1600, when the country had strong commercial links with Europe. The technique seems to have continued in use during the troubled period that followed the Afghan invasion in 1722. It burst back into life under the Qajar dynasty, who re-united Iran in the 1780s and 1790s. The first great patron was the second ruler of the dynasty, Fath 'Ali Shah (reigned 1797-1834), who had numerous pictures of himself made for his own palaces and as diplomatic gifts. The founder of the dynasty, his uncle Agha Muhammad Shah, had been castrated as a child by his father's enemies and was considered repulsively ugly. Fath 'Ali Shah therefore had himself portrayed as a virile, youthful man, with a slim waist and a magnificent beard.
Bibliographic references
  • Tim Stanley, Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Middle East, London, V&A Publications, 2004, p. 72, plate 87. Illustrated in 'Iranian Textiles' by Jennifer Wearden and Patricia L Baker, V&A Publishing 2010, fig. 6 page 17.
  • Persian Royal Portraiture and the Qajars, Robinson, B.W., Qajar Iran, Mazda, California, 1983,1992
  • Persian Oil Paintings, Robinson, B.W., V & A Small Colour Book 20, 1977
  • Diba, Layla S. (Ed.) Royal Persian Paintings: The Qajar Epoch, 1785-1925 London, 1998
  • Moya Carey, Persian Art. Collecting the Arts of Iran for the V&A, London, 2017, p.103.
Collection
Accession number
707-1876

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Record createdMarch 18, 2004
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