Portrait of a Safavid Prince

Like the portrait of Shah Jahan, this image features a single male figure placed in a neutral setting to emphasize the importance of the human subject. The triangular borders, with their multicolored flowers on golden tendrils, hint at a garden setting. The figure himself holds a flower in his hand, indicating that he is seated outdoors. The emphasis on nature is at odds with the fact that the figure does not cast a shadow and is not represented in a three-dimensional way suggesting a human body occupying space. The rendering is idealized, and the figure represents a type of person—a courtier or prince—rather than a specific individual. Men and women are represented in a similar fashion in Persian painting, with round, soft faces; tall willowy bodies; and dainty hands and feet. The identity of the prince in this portrait is not as significant as the elaborate detail and finely wrought setting for this ideal human being.

Although the figure may be a stereotype, great attention to detail is lavished on the portrait. The artist chose to depict the face in a three-quarter view—emphasizing the smooth roundness of the cheeks—which in Persian painting is the most flattering perspective. Persian artists excelled in "miniature" painting, and many images can be appreciated fully only by viewing them through a magnifying glass. Creative virtuosity resided in the rendering of minute detail, and not as much in the faithful copying of an individual's features. Given the small size of this painting, the rendering of the details of the face, clothing and border decoration would have required the skill of a master miniaturist.