Image: Qajar art, perhaps anachronistically depicting the Safavid victory over the Russians in 1651-53

Description: Qajar Persia . Given that a painting of this size and calibre would likely be made to commemorate a Persian victory, this is perhaps an anachronistic representation of the sole success of the Persian side under the Safavids in 1651-53, the first of multiple Russo-Persian wars that erupted periodically throughout the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. This would go some way to explaining the hybridity of the outfitting of both sides, as the Persian soldiery wear long Qajar-style tunics with helmets of a historicised, quasi-Medieval appearance. The army of the opposition wear antiquated and provincial-style clothing, setting them apart as the weaker half in comparison to the helmeted Persian forces, with their flimsy striped shirts and floppy beret-style hats. These are not the impressively uniformed soldiers of Imperial Russia, but more likely local troops from the territories of the Northern Caucasus, provinces relinquished by Tsar Alexis of Russia to Safavid Persia. The scene presents the victors' view of a historical event, but it is mixed with the curated drama of literary fantasy. The Persian figure in the centre, potentially the Safavid military official Khosrow Khan, is presented both as a Qajar prince and a mytho-historical hero of the Shahnama. Riding his horse gallantly into battle, he could be Rustam, the ultimate hero of Firdausi's epic, astride his faithful steed, Raksh. Nor are we spared the gory details of battle: the Persian commander drives his sword through the heart of the leader of the Caucasian side. As the eyes of his vanquished foe roll back and his tongue hangs out of his mouth, the Persian hero looks out directly at the viewer, breaking the fourth wall between audience and painted subject: as he makes the death blow, his stare is one that both engages and challenges whoever else may be in front of him, making a gesture in complete command of his own strength.
Title: A Persian prince defeats the Russian Army.label QS:Len,"A Persian prince defeats the Russian Army."
Credit: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25434/lot/76/
Author: UnknownUnknown
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No