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.
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