Portrait of Fath 'Ali Shah
1797
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1797
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This painting shows Fath 'Ali Shah seated on a European-style chair with a floral rug beneath his feet. He wears a long blue robe and a tall hat trimmed with fur. Oil paint arrived in Iran after 1600 through trade with Europe. The Qajar ruler loved portraits and made sure artists used the new medium to paint him often. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more Qajar art.
