Portrait of Prince Nasir al-Din Mirza

MehranDHN

The inscription next to this figure identifies him as "crown prince of the victorious state [of Iran]." It is likely a portrait of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar shortly before he acceded the throne in 1848 and became the fourth ruler of the Qajar dynasty. The painter Aqa Buzurg Shirazi (active ca. 1840–1860) has successfully captured the prince’s adolescent awkwardness. Rendered in the distinct hybrid style of the second half of the nineteenth century and possibly informed by a photograph, the portrait reflects a new interest in realism, immediacy, and expressing mood.