1 / 3
Premium MILLON
269
-
CHINA, Canton, Lamqua school, 19th century
"Portrait of a Co…
See original version (French)
269
-
CHINA, Canton, Lamqua school, 19th century
"Portrait of a Co…
See original version (French)
Estimate €5,500 - €7,000
Voluntary lot
Description
CHINA, Canton, Lamqua school, 19th century
"Portrait of a Court Lady
Oil on canvas
With gilded wood frame
60 x 44 cm (view)
Depicted at mid-body, a young woman is depicted facing forward, her gaze directed towards the viewer in a calm pose. She is dressed in an elegant white silk tunic with a side opening, whose rich polychrome embroidery, with floral and butterfly motifs, is finely rendered with great precision. The jewellery, consisting of earrings and beaded ornaments, and the headdress adorned with cabochons and pearls, evoke the court finery of the Qing dynasty. The treatment of the face, with its delicately modelled features, bears witness to a marked naturalism, characteristic of the Canton workshops influenced by Western painting. The dark, neutral background highlights the figure and reinforces the presence of the model, in a style inherited from European portraiture. The young woman is delicately holding a flower, a motif that can be interpreted as a symbol of purity, ephemeral beauty or feminine refinement in Chinese tradition.
This type of portrait was produced in the workshops of Lamqua, who was active in Canton in the first half of the 19th century and developed a substantial trade in portraits for foreign clients. Inspired by the works of George Chinnery, Lamqua adapted the codes of Western portraiture - modelling of the flesh, frontality, neutral background - to Chinese subjects, creating an original synthesis of local traditions and European influences. While the male portraits of Co-hong merchants, such as the famous Howqua, made a major contribution to his reputation, the rarer female portraits produced in his studio offer a precious insight into the ideal of beauty and the refinement of dress in Chinese society at the time. Produced in several versions and formats, these portraits met a growing demand for 'authentic' images of China, while retaining an idealised and codified dimension.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like