Prince Yahya
Attributed to Muhammad Hasan
Arts of the Islamic World
On View: Arts of the Islamic World, 2nd floor
In the seventeenth century, Iranian patrons began commissioning large-scale paintings as decoration for palatial interiors. While the use of oil paint on stretched canvases was probably derived from European tradition, the Iranians did not frame the paintings to hang individually on the walls like their European counterparts. Instead the paintings were part of an overall architectural design, fitting neatly into recessed spaces on the walls.
The subject of this portrait, Prince Yahya, was a son of the second ruler of the Qajar dynasty, Fath ‘Ali Shah (reigned 1797–1834). His father appointed him at an early age to govern the province of Gilan, near the Caspian Sea. With its emphasis on his costume’s many pearls, his prominently displayed sword, and his European-style pocket watch, the portrait captures the wealth, authority, and modernity of its youthful subject.
MEDIUM
Oil on canvas
DATES
ca. 1830s
DYNASTY
Qajar
PERIOD
Qajar Period
DIMENSIONS
70 1/2 x 38 x 2.25 in.
frame: 70 1/2 x 38 x 2 1/4 in. (179.1 x 96.5 x 5.7 cm)
(show scale)
INSCRIPTIONS
Inscription in Persian nasta'liq script within cartouche, upper left corner: "Shahzadeh Navvab Yahya Mirza" (His Highness Prince Yahya)"
ACCESSION NUMBER
72.26.5
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Wilkinson
PROVENANCE
Prior to 1972, provenance not yet documented; by 1972, acquired by Charles K. Wilkinson and Irma Bezold Wilkinson (Mrs. Charles K. Wilkinson) of New York, NY; March 21, 1972, gift of Charles K. Wilkinson and Irma Bezold Wilkinson to the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
CAPTION
Attributed to Muhammad Hasan (Persian, active 1808â1840). Prince Yahya, ca. 1830s. Oil on canvas, 70 1/2 x 38 x 2.25 in. . Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Wilkinson, 72.26.5 (Photo: , 72.26.5_PS11.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 72.26.5_PS11.jpg., 2017
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
RIGHTS STATEMENT
No known copyright restrictions
This work may be in the public domain in the United States. Works created by United States and non-United States nationals published prior to 1923 are in the public domain, subject to the terms of any applicable treaty or agreement.
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this work. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online
application form (charges apply).
The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to the work. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act.
The Brooklyn Museum makes no representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement governing copyright protection in the United States for works created by foreign nationals.
For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the
United States Library of Congress,
Cornell University,
Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and
Copyright Watch.
For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our
blog posts on copyright.
If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact
copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
RECORD COMPLETENESS
Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and
we welcome any additional information you might have.