Hi Taji,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The calligraphic inscription in the lower left corner translates to "Sadeghi" (or Sadeqi), which is a common surname in the Persian and Arabic-speaking world. I've checked the name against the subscription artist databases we have access to but the two artists who were painting in the early/mid 20th Century - Ehsan Sadeghi or Sadegh Sadeghi - both have bodies of work very unlike this portrait, suggesting it was done by another artist. The parallels between this portrait - which portrays the sitter realistically but with dignity and compassion - is similar to portraits painted by Western (European) artists in the first half of the 20th Century and strongly suggests whoever painted this had been trained in, or at least influenced by, European teachers. Without a strong artist attribution, this will have a comparatively modest value at auction: $400-600.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

Iranian School, mid 20th Century
Portrait of a Bearded Man, (no date)
oil on canvas
signed with calligraphic mark lower left
30 by 24 inches
CONDITION: This portrait appears to be in good condition
PROVENANCE: Acquired in Iran in the mid/late 1950s
$ 400-600*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia