Page 51 - 2021 April 1, ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND Indian Worlds Including Oriental Rugs, Christie's London

The Bonnet House painting

Now, with the reappearance of the monumental painting from the Bonnet The princes stand to attention, exactly as in the rigid ceremonial required at
Museum we have enough evidence in hand to truly understand the scope the court which so dazzled Sir Robert Ker Porter, one of the many European
and ambition of dynastic wall paintings of the era. The reappearance of envoys to the court in the early 19th century. (Robinson, op. cit.,p. 95) Their
this masterpiece in the art world and its wide dissemination will hopefully arms are crossed in a gesture of submission and allegiance and their gaze
preserve it for future generations. is directed towards their father and ruler at the centre. The Soustiel panel’s
composition is identical in all aspects except the number of figures which is
DESCRIPTION AND GROUP:
six in each row.
The Bartlett painting is a component of a large-scale tripartite composition
of a royal reception which once would have decorated the main hall of a royal The four panels can be assigned to the enthronement scenes corpus. The
Qajar palace of the second decade of the 19th century. Based on the known latter all measure approximately 10 x 20 feet, some are even as wide as
Negarestan palace model, the work consisted of a central image of Fath ‘Ali 30 feet. The number of figures range from six to over 100, with the Qom
Shah seated on the Peacock throne with his eldest sons (now missing), two painting numbering 150. The Bartlett and Soustiel panels belong to a
right-hand panels (Sotheby’s 1975 now in Saadabad Museum, Tehran and subgroup of four detached fragments with the princes and grandsons in
Bartlett), and two left-hand panels depicting the ruler’s grandsons (Private three registers. In my view, they all were components of a complex decorative
collection, location unknown and Soustiel 1973/private collection, location cycle of a large royal reception hall with Fath ‘Ali Shah flanked by his eldest
unknown. see Fig. 2). The Bartlett painting, when reunited with the other sons enthroned at one end, the Negarestan and Bartlett panels on the right
panels and the central scene would have presented about 100 figures. and the Soustiel and Private European collection panels on the left. Stylistic
affinities, similar dimensions, and comparable inscriptions in all four panels
The Bartlett panel presents three straight rows of eight three-quarter length
support this hypothesis.
figures, organized according to age and rank and divided by balustrades.
Their features are idealized and represent generic types: the mature princes ARTIST:
are bearded, while the younger ones are clean shaven with side locks of The painting may be attributed to ‘Abdallah Khan and his team of numerous
hair. All display the handsome features and elegant figure of their father. workshop painters. The royal workshops were crucial for the execution of
The princes are dressed in elaborate court ceremonial attire and either major projects such as this one. Even as late as the reign of Naser al Din
crowned or turbaned according to their rank. The clothing is richly detailed Shah (1848-96), they executed the Thousand and One Nights manuscript
and exquisitely rendered with the precision of manuscript illustration. The and Loqante mural painting projects under the supervision of ‘Abdallahs’
alternating brilliantly coloured robes, rich detailing in gold paint of the successor, Abu’l Hasan Ghaffari Sani’ al Mulk. ‘Abdallah had risen in the
brocades, shawl fabrics, fur collars, and most of all armlets, epaulettes, ranks of the court workshop system sharing the honour with Mirza Baba
crowns, daggers and swords worn by the princes and princelings, impart an and Mihr ‘Ali, celebrated for their portraits of the ruler sent abroad as
air of luxury and wealth to the scene, skilfully evoking the splendours of the diplomatic gifts. Although all three artists worked in both single format and
imperial treasury. The background is a dark brownish colour, the better to monumental paintings, there is only a single signed work by ‘Abdallah from
show off the rich costumes and identifying inscriptions next to each figure. 1807, comparable in quality and sensitivity with the magnificent portrayals

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