Portrait of Nur Ali Shah
Not on view
This charming portrait depicts a saintly Nur ‘Ali Shah (d.1801), who was one of the champions of the Ni'matullahi order during the Sufi revival of the Qajar period. Images of this martyred young poet popularly adorned objects in different media, from drawings and paintings to lacquer and enamelware. Here, he is shown wearing a Sufi cap in front of a Europeanizing landscape of trees and buildings. The artist has focused on the sensitive treatment of his curly locks and his pensive gaze.