Page 150 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

fig. 5A Family Matriarch fig. 5B Empress Dowager Gongci, collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
எ " ទᐽ৅⡿㛑⎏⩞กᆨ㎜ எ # Ƕ່ক⑅ង᝷۬Ƿ⡿㛑卿࢈՗ᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦৅

Further examination of the female figures in the painting and based on the ⲋה⊺ᛞ㧿լᙻ ⯍ ჺԠ㧿卿㚣㿢ݯձ൴
assumption that this painting was executed around 1844-1845, it is possible ෽׿൷卿≾Ꮅ⛘ஶݯԋ⩢⎏㕇֍卿Քज⚲㇦⛘
for other sitters to be identified. If the central figure is Daoguang, the female ٲ卿⯝㙣ݏႽ⎏༗ߏ㨸ؠᝤᛓӶ㈲⩧઀ǯߝ᫊ᓠ
figures depicted alongside would be closely related to him. Under this theory,
ᙷ卿⋁ԋჺ⡕ᝬ㧩⩢ἃૃጻႽԠڬ◙ᛤŸ່࣊ক
the elderly female depicted can be assumed as the Empress Dowager Gongci
⑅⎑ळ㟏△◍᭄卻 卼卻ॲ "卼ǯ
(1776-1850) (fig. 5A).
㩶᫉Ԡം卿ᬘ㖅㙚ᄻႚ㑌ٜᙇ✄Հׅ⛘ஶഺຽ
A comparison of known images of the Empress Dowager and the figure seated
⯝༈ԋळ൉⫅۬卻ॲ #卼卿⎉→ݦ⩢Ԡ㧿卿ग
second from the left on the veranda (figs. 5A&B) show a remarkable similarity
㇦㯫ᙹ⮬㧩卿ݦ㰋㱇ᶕ卿݄὞ൈऱӬ՞ǯ㘺⯺
in the bone structure of the face, with high cheekbones, elongated face and wide
⩠㌴卿⯍ཐ㊯ᚺ⊺ԋႡᝳӲ՞⛾भ᳖ༀ⁞໸՞
forehead. Thus the physiognomies of at least three main characters in this painting
⁒ᆨ㎜ǯݯձݰ㵲ݣᇤ⡿❥卿⢞㬳ڮ὞ႛभᏒ
appear to align with their imperial family counterparts. The accumulation of data
⯎ǯႚठ׿⛁ഺຽ㫍㕇֍តᚺ卿࣐⬒ӬӬ㘃ߌ
from mere observation of the pictorial information would suggests far more than
⩧㈛ǯ
pure coincidence at work.
For possible identification of the remaining ladies and children, see the expanded ᝳ㨸ݯձ՞⁒㕇֍⩠㌴卿ᝳᝤ㊄⏌⎏எ㢙㏱ᙠ
notes available for this lot. ᓽ؊ǯ

th
He Shikui was an important court artist during the first half of the 19 century. ㏫ӽ㷅卿ໃᾃᙔ卿ᖼ⫅۬⊺卿Ⴁ⒖ݯἃࢦԬӽ
It is recorded that He Shikui was promoted in 1824 and served in the imperial ⡕ӳࢮ⶟༈ԋ㞒㇝⎏ᇙ⊇⊺།卿Ԇսᖼ⊺؊⪰
atelier, Ruyi guan (The Palace of Wishes Fulfilled) for thirteen years. Imperial ᙻ༈ᅡൈዪ㱦ǯǶݤ࡞ᄙ㙁㗤⽔पהᎰ᰻㈷᳖
records note that one of Daoguang’s portraits, Songliang xiajian tu (Emperor ᨯĤൈዪ㱦१ᦍǷᝳ㖊㙣ݏ୨ჺ卻 卼卿㏫
Daoguang under the Summer Pines) was painted by He Shikui and other court
ӽ㷅⯝ݯձ⊺Ⴧഠ᚜ἃ㙣ݏ⎑Ⴝቯ⊺ᇙ༏卿᫉
artists in the fourth year of Daoguang (1823).
࣊Ƕ៏Ე೽ڟஎǷ㕻ǯ

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