Besides several European-style paintings, he is also known to be the author of the Golshan-e Morad, a book covering the history of the Zand dynasty.
[2] Since the late Safavid era, European-style paintings had been a favorite subject of Iranian artists, and Abu'l-Hasan was the first member of his family to show an interest in them.
He advised me, "Even though painting is a delicate art and an honest trade, it provides an uncertain livelihood and is considered beneath the dignity of a man—certainly that of a man of your rank.
After learning the craft of annotation, he started writing official records and eventually rose to the position of court historian of Karim Khan.
Due to internal strife amongst the Zand family following Karim Khan's death in 1779, Abu'l-Hasan appears to have stopped writing between 1780 and 1784.