The Prince and the Shah: Royal Portraits from Qajar Iran

Waist-up portrait of a group of men wearing uniforms.
  • Dates

    February 24–August 5, 2018

  • Location

    Arthur M. Sackler Gallery | Gallery 27a and 27b

  • Collection Area

    Arts of the Islamic World

In our age of social media and selfies, it may be difficult to grasp the importance of painted portraits and studio photographs in nineteenth-century Iran. During this time, known as the Qajar era, rulers such as Fath-Ali Shah (reigned 1797–1834), a contemporary of Napoleon, and Nasir al-Din Shah (reigned 1848–96), a contemporary of Queen Victoria, used portraiture to convey monarchical power and dynastic grandeur. Through a selection of about thirty works from the Freer and Sackler collections, which include recent major gifts and acquisitions, this exhibition explores how Persian artists transformed modes of representing royalty and nobility. Paintings on canvas, lacquerwares, and photographs also highlight Iran’s complex artistic and cultural interactions with the West as European conventions and new technologies were being introduced.


This exhibition is made possible with generous support from Patricia and Alex Farman-Farmaian.

Additional Highlights from the Archives

  • Black and white photo of Iranian ruler having his mustache dyed.

    Nasir al-Din Shah with his Austrian dentist

    Throughout his rule, Nasir al-Din Shah (reigned 1848–96) enthusiastically embraced the art of photography, a technology that was introduced to Iran as early as the late 1840s. The monarch was an avid amateur photographer and actively recorded his personal life and that of his court.
    Nasir al-Din Shah also took advantage of every opportunity to be photographed, whether in standalone portraits or in group pictures while engaged in various activities. Although they convey a sense of instantaneity, these images were the carefully staged work of professional court photographers (in Persian, akkash-bashi). Unlike paintings hung on the wall, photography was not meant for public display; rather, photographs were arranged inside albums to be viewed during private gatherings or by individuals.

  • Small boy dressed in Iranian regalia.

    Studio Portrait: Ahmad Shah Qajar (approximately age 12)

    The last Qajar ruler, Ahmad Shah, came to the throne at the age of eleven and was under the control of regents until his coronation in 1914. Although not much is known about his childhood, Ahmad Shah belonged to a generation for which photography was ubiquitous, used as the primary medium to record daily life.

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