Portret van de Shah Suleiman, de heerser van Isfahan c. 1686

This portrait of Shah Suleiman of Persia was painted anonymously, likely in the 17th century, and depicts the ruler of Isfahan with watercolor on paper. The halo effect is a common visual trope used to convey the status of the subject, but in 17th-century Persia, the Shah was not considered divine. We might consider the other visual codes on display: the subject's clothing, the detail of the painting, and the overall effect of the portrait which seems to depict the Shah as a figure of immense power and wealth. Persian society at this time was highly stratified with a clear hierarchy of power and status, the legacy of which is very much present here. The image doesn't overtly critique the social structures of its time. It is a conventional image which reinforces existing social norms. To understand this image better, we might consult historical texts, studies of Islamic art, and social histories of 17th-century Persia. What we see in the museum is always contingent on the contexts of artistic production.