Portrait of Mirza Hashem Amin Khalvat
mid-19th century
Medium
Graphite on paper
Dimensions
H. 6 in. (15.2 cm) W. 4 in. (10.2 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, 2017 NoRuz at The Met Benefit, 2018
Accession Number
2018.411
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate graphite portrait, created by the renowned Persian court painter Abu'l Hasan Ghaffariknown as Sani'-Mulk) in the mid-19th century captures Mirza Hashem Aminvat with remarkable precision. Measuring just 6 by 4 inches, the work on paper exemplifies the intimate scale of Qajar-era sketches, often preparatory studies for larger album pages or paintings. Sani' al-Mulk, a master of the Q school, blended traditional Persian miniature techniques with emerging European influences like realism and shading, making his portraits lifelike documents of Iran's elite. Housed in the Metropolitan...