Naser al-Din Shah

Luigi Pesce|Naser od-Din Shah

ca. 1855–58 · Salted paper print from paper negative · Photographs

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.

Artist

Luigi Pesce|Naser od-Din Shah

Date

ca. 1855–58

Medium

Salted paper print from paper negative

Department

Photographs

Credit line

Gift of Charles K. and Irma B. Wilkinson, 1977