Page 146 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

fig. 1A Lot 3041 detail fig. 1B Emperor Daoguang: detail from Xiyi qiuting tu
எ " ទᐽ৅ԋஶ⩢⡿எ எ # Ƕ੧ᵉ☌ᄥஎǷԋ⎏㙣ݏ۬

From the two characters Huanwen and two artist seals: ’He Shikui’ and ‘Huanwen’, ᫉ԬེǶᇙⱹリᦼஎǷࣥἃӬႜზᓔ㕻卿ᓼ⥾
on the painting it is possible to ascertain the artist as He Shikui, also known as ᜰᛌᛞߎℳݩ㏟ݽᙻᄥⱹ㧽㙐ᱲ㙰⎏⊂᰻ౚ
under his pseudonym as Huanwen, a well-known court artist who died circa 1845. ᜀǯ⊺㬷᫈ԋࢣ㯫㟊Ǹ㏫ӽ㷅ǹࣿǸᾃᙔǹݦ

ࣇ卻ॲ 卼卿ヿᚺה⊺⩢Ꮅἃ༈ᅡ⊺Ⴧ㏫ӽ㷅
The most significant person in the present painting is undoubtedly the figure
卻 ě⡙ 卼ǯ
dressed in a deep blue robe seated on a daybed inlaid with marbled panels (fig.
1A). It is possible that this central figure depicts the Daoguang Emperor (reigned
⊺ᇵ᫈ԋ⩢Ὅ⋕ᝬݰ࿶㵶஠ׅ卻ॲ "卼卿ग㇦
1820-1850). Close examination, the facial features of this central figure bear an
ݯஶᙻူഌ↚⒢㬵⫫ᏺᏛஉຽ⧲ᶴᦇӳǯཆݯ
uncanny resemblance to various known depictions of the Emperor, such as in the
㬷༏ཌᾅഅზ᳖༈⯠⻦㙣ݏႽ۬卿ൈ࢈՗ᘢ༈
painting Xiyi qiuting tu, Autumn Courtyard Full of Joy (fig. 2) dating circa 1833-
ࢷ⁒㩴㩴⻦Ƕ੧ᵉ☌ᄥஎǷԋ卻ॲ #卼卿ज㇦
1834, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (see fig. 1B for detail). It
is interesting to note that the Palace Museum painting is also by the artist, He ݦ⩢ヿካ⎐⊶㰆ណ㉋ǯᗌໝ⩢⩠㌴卿Ƕ੧ᵉ☌
Shikui. The facial characteristics that immediately catch one’s attention are the ‘split’ ᄥஎǷ卻ॲ 卼⋁ං⥾ᙻ㙣ݏࢦӲჺ卻 卼卿
eyebrows, long flattened nose, wispy moustache, chiselled cheekbones and full Ԇ⊐ൈዪ㱦⊺།㏫ӽ㷅ഠ᚜Ꮢהǯ
lips. Interestingly the pose and costume are very similar too. The present figure
⡿㈊⊺།ཌ㕻ᇵ՞⁒ߴࠧ⎏Ն໶㖥ᅃ卿ݯ㬷௛
is wearing informal clothes (changfu pao), a blue coloured robe adorned with
catfishes and endless knots (symbols of abundant wealth and longevity). A robe of ⍽⍈卿㧩䁉ᙷ⏫卿㵶㰋㎒৶卿ݦᖊ㶜ຽǯႛभ
this identical design is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing. A jadeite ⎏ᛓ卿ݯஶන⯝Ƕ੧ᵉ☌ᄥஎǷԋᏒ⥾㙣ݏᇙ
snuff bottle is shown in sitter’s hand and in the other portrait of the Daoguang ༏ᥑἃ⏟ַǯ⯍ᙻݯᏒⶬ჎᝷ㄜ卿ԛ⯝࢈՗ᘢ
Emperor, snuff bottles lie on the Kang table. A number of jadeite bottles of these ༈ࢷ⁒㩴Ꮢ⻦Ӭ։⻤ⰰ➭㢶⡠ᜡⱤ⣖ചㄜ⏟
shapes remain in the collections of both Palace Museum collections. ⲋ卿ㄜӳ⡿ᓼ㸾㷚Ǯ⏎㧩ࣿ㌖✙⡠㱈Ꮢ⢑Ꮀ⎏