portrait of Mirza Abu'l Hassan Khan
Thomas Lawrence·1810
Historical Context
Lawrence painted Mirza Abu'l Hassan Khan around 1810, depicting the Persian ambassador who visited London on a diplomatic mission from Fath-Ali Shah. Abu'l Hassan Khan was a cultivated diplomat whose visit to London created enormous public fascination with Persian culture. Lawrence's portrait captures the ambassador in Persian court dress with a splendor that reflects the exotic appeal of the encounter between British and Persian civilizations. Now in the Harvard Art Museums, the painting documents one of the most significant diplomatic contacts between Britain and Persia during the Napoleonic era, when both nations were maneuvering for advantage in the geopolitical competition for influence in Central Asia.
Technical Analysis
Lawrence brings the same brilliance to this diplomatic portrait as to his European subjects, rendering the elaborate Persian costume with evident delight. The rich colors and textures of the eastern garments provide a striking vehicle for Lawrence's virtuoso paint handling.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the elaborate Persian court dress: Lawrence renders the exotic Eastern garments with evident delight in their unfamiliar richness.
- ◆Look at the rich colors and textures: the Persian costume provides Lawrence with an extraordinary vehicle for virtuoso paint handling.
- ◆Observe how Lawrence applies the same formal dignity he brings to European sitters: the Persian ambassador receives equal artistic respect.
- ◆Find the Harvard Art Museums location: the diplomat who bridged Persian and British cultures in 1810 is now in an American university collection.
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