F. Colombari

Colombari was an engineer and watercolour artist, and originally hailed from Piedmont.^[1] In 1833, after gaining the rank of colonel, he moved to Qajar Iran.^[2] While in Iran, he served in the army between 1833-1848, and also belonged to a circle of artists close to the young crown prince Naser al-Din. Colombari himself, in particular, was a close confidant of the latter.

During the tenure of prime minister Haji Mirza Aqasi, Colombari assisted him in reorganizing the army and the production of weapons at the Tehran arsenal.^[3] Colombari made numerous paintings and may have personally known Hasan Ghaffari, better known as Sani ol molk. In 1844, Colombari made a watercolour painting of the future Naser ad-din Shah Qajar. In 1847, he made a watercolour portrait of Mohammad Shah Qajar, the predecessor of Naser ad-din Shah.