painting

Pencil Drawing (Portrait of Mohammad Ali Shah)

By Master Mossavvar ol-Mamalek Zolfaqari

Approximate age of the artwork: 105 years

Mirza Mehdi Khan Samsam Zolfaqari, a painter active from the late Naser al-Din Shah era through the entire reign of Mozaffar al-Din Shah and into the early reign of Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar, was granted the title “Mossavvar ol-Molk” by Mozaffar al-Din Shah in the first year of his reign (1896 CE / 1275 SH).

He excelled in three fields: portraiture, landscapes from nature, and copy work. His brushwork was elegant, and he used relatively vivid colors. The illustrations of Sharaffat newspaper were among his works.