TEHRAN – “The Line for Salute”, a painting by the Qajar-era artist and architect Abdollah Khan, has been restored by a team of Iranian experts.

The painting, which depicts a long queue of the royals and elites waiting to salute Qajar king Fath’Ali Shah, was unveiled for the first time after its restoration at the Negarestan Garden Museum in Tehran on Saturday.

The museum that was constructed by Abdollah Khan will be the permanent home to the 50-tych painting.

The painting was previously on display at the entrance of Tehran’s Sahebqaranieh Palace, which was also designed by Abdollah Khan. 

“The Line for Salute” was then transferred to a storehouse where serious damage to the artwork resulted from improper conditions for storage.

The restoration of the artwork was initiated by a team of prominent experts at the University of Tehran two years ago.

In a brief speech painter Aidin Aghdashlu, who was a member of the team, said, “The painting was badly damaged as if it had been destroyed by a mortar shell. Ignorance plus nature had played major roles in its destruction.

“However, the officials helped restore the painting. While I was working on the painting, I noticed it had lively colors and had preserved history within itself,” he added.

“This painting beautifully narrates the goals and the wishes of a man, the one who had made a great complex (Persepolis) 2500 years ago to portray its glory to the world,” he mentioned.

Photo: Art enthusiasts visit the Qajar-era painting “The Line for Salute” at the Negarestan Garden Museum in Tehran on March 4, 2017. (Mehr/Shahab Qayyumi)

RM/YAW