Early Portrait of Nasr al-Din Shah (reigned 1848-1896)  1850

Unlike his predecessors, Nasr al-Din Shah was not interested in the standard dynastic images of traditional Persian court painting but rather favored European-style portraits. This unusually large and evocative depiction of the young ruler, who ascended the throne at age sixteen, is one of the many likenesses, including photographs, that document his long reign and changin...