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
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 1808-1840). Prince Yahya, ca. 1830s. Oil on canvas, 67 x 35 in. (170.2 x 88.9 cm). 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
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Tell me more.
The painting depicts a Persian prince named Yahya. He was the 43rd son of Fath 'Ali Shah, the second ruler of the Qajar Dynasty in Persia. Yahya served as a regional governor--a common role for royal sons not in the line of succession--in northern Iran. Look up close and you'll see that all the gems have made to appear 3D!
Tell me more.
The clothes and headdress that Prince Yahya is wearing are those of the rank of governor. The inscription near his head also names him as a "navab" or governor; he was in charge of the provice of Gilan along the Caspian Sea. If you look from just the right angle you can see that all of the jewels are a little bit 3-D!