A PORTRAIT OF THE LAST INDEPENDENT KING OF THE SAFAVID DYNASTY, SHAH SULTAN HOSSEIN (R. 1694 - 1722)
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE ENGLISH BIBLIOPHILE
Cornelius de Bruijn (de Bruyn or Le Bruyn), Amsterdam, The Netherlands, circa 1711

Engraving on paper, depicting a standing Shah Sultan Hossein, the last de facto Safavid ruler, wearing a fur-collared gown embroidered with typical vegetal motifs present on Safavid metal-thread embroideries, a large turban with a bejewelled and feathered sarpech reminiscent of Mughal examples, a gem-encrusted sword and dagger tucked in his belt and a sceptre in his right hand, mounted on a white cardboard frame, the page 25.5cm x 18cm, the mount 42cm x 29.8cm.

Cornelius de Bruijn (1652 - 1727) was a Dutch painter and traveller known for having published two illustrated books detailing his travels: the first A Voyage to the Levant: or Travels in the Principal Parts of Asia Minor (originally published in Dutch in 1698, in French 1700 and later in English in 1702); the second Voyage to the Levant and Travels into Moscovy, Persia, and the East Indies (published first in Dutch in 1711, in French in 1718 and in English in 1720). Each publication is full of landscapes, topographical studies, still-lifes of fruits and a few portraits; the first included 215 engravings, the second far surpassing it with 320. At the time de Bruijn reached Persia in 1703, Shah Hossein was nine years into his reign. De Bruijn is known to have been well-connected at different levels in the Safavid society, including the King's Court and his entourage. He was the first European artist who was allowed to paint a portrait of the Persian monarch, an honour which he describes in detail in his travel account.

De Bruijn was known to prefer to draw from life rather than paintings, explaining why his works were significantly more accurate than those of his peers. Every element and accessory in the Shah's portrait is in line with the fashion and style paraded at the time. The encrusted dagger and sword show striking similarities with two late Safavid examples in the Hermitage collection in St. Petersburg, which were believed to be diplomatic gifts to the Tsars of Russia sent by Persian envoys. By scholars and critics, de Bruijn's book recounting his voyage through Persia is considered a balanced account, in which he even allows himself to express criticisms to the Shah for his self-indulgence, one of the flaws that will lead to the collapse of the Safavid empire. Sadly for de Bruijn, his second book was less of a success than the first, and the total sales failed to cover the expenses he had incurred. He died richer in friendships than money at the home of David van Mollem near Utrecht.