A Persian dignitary wearing a green coat, standing on a palace terrace with a landscape beyond, by Abu'l-Hasan Ghaffari, Sani' al-Mulk, Chief Painter (naqqash-bashi) Qajar Persia, dated AH 1262/AD 1845-46A Persian dignitary wearing a green coat, standing on a palace terrace with a landscape beyond, by Abu'l-Hasan Ghaffari, Sani' al-Mulk, Chief Painter (naqqash-bashi) Qajar Persia, dated AH 1262/AD 1845-46watercolour on paper, signed and inscribed in nasta'liq script at upper left, the Chief Painter (naqqash-bashi), and dated AH 1262/AD 1845-46 350 x 256 mm.A rare and important newly-discovered early portrait of a court official by Abu'l Hasan al-Ghaffari, Sani' al-Mulk.ProvenanceGeorge Kidston CMG, Head of the Eastern Department of the British Foreign Office, 1919-20.Thence by descent to the estate of the late Hon. Mrs Patricia A. Kidston (1927-2021).In this newly discovered painting by Abu'l Hasan Ghaffari, Sani' al-Mulk - 'arguably the greatest artist of the Qajar period' (B. W. Robinson, in R. W. Ferrier (ed.), The Arts of Persia, London 1989, p. 229) - a nobleman is shown in green courtly garb with black headgear, and a colourful waist-shawl in which a scroll of paper is inserted as a sign of his position in court. As with all Abul-Hasan's signature works, meticulous attention has been paid to detail and patterning. The subject stands in an interior lavishly decorated with wallpaper in a rich palette of dark red and a boldly patterned blue and white floor made up of a well known type of Qajar tile that imitated ikat patterned silk garments, a composition similar to those seen in the later portrait of Prince Ardeshir Mirza, 1269AH/1853-4 (see L. Diba (ed.), Royal Persian Paintings: the Qajar Epoch, 1785-1925, Brooklyn 1998, pp. 250-251); and also Murad Hesam al-Saltaneh's portrait, 1273AH/1856-7 (see G. Fellinger et al, L'Empire des Roses: chef-d'oeuvre de l'art persan du XIXe siecle, Lens 2018, pp. 232-233). The artist's careful and dexterous treatment of the towering trees in the background of the scene is also particularly noteworthy. Abu'l-Hasan Ghaffari Kashani (d. 1282/1865-6) was a painter of the Muhammad Shah and Nasir al-Din Shah period. In AH 1258/AD 1842, during the reign of Muhammad Shah, he received the title of Naqqash-bashi. A year later, in 1845, he was sent to Italy to study painting. After his return, Abu'l-Hasan painted the murals of Nizamiyah Hall for Mirza Aqa Khan Nuri in 1857-58 by which time his fame was such that Nasr al-Din Shah rewarded him with a gold box studded with a large diamond, and installed him in various posts including that of the title 'Sani' al-Mulk' in 1861. He is most well known for the paintings of the famous 'One Thousand and One Night' in the Gulistan Library, Tehran. His recorded work is dated between AH 1258/AD 1842-43 and AH 1282/AD 1865-666, and this painting therefore represents the discovery of an early work, executed during the reign of Muhammad Shah.During this period, Abu'l-Hasan painted superlative portraits which also testify to the early effect of photography on Persian painting, in contrast to its impact in Europe, where it supplanted portraiture. This painting also bears features which point to his future style, showing that he was a keen painter with a refined sense of humour who strove to capture the eccentricities of his subjects, in contrast to more rigid, academic and stylized earlier trends in Qajar portraiture.For a painting of a court official, attributed to Abu'l Hasan Ghaffari, circa 1850-60, see Sotheby's, Persian and Islamic Art: the Collection of the Berkeley Trust, 12th October 2004, lot 33, where it is noted that typical features of his work include the textured surface of the Astrakhan hat, and the voluminous robe of the sitter.See also the portrait of Mirza Abdullah Mostufi, in the Reza Abbasi Museum, Tehran (inv. 20443), which has the same signature and date.For more on his work, see (in addition to the works already cited):M. A. Karimzadeh, The Lives and Art of Old Painters of Iran, Vol. I, London 1985, pp. 23-34.Zoka, The Lives and Art of Sani-al-Molk, Tehran 2003, pp. 136-144.Important Notice to BuyersSome countries e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of Iranian-origin works. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.