Page 101 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

of key factors occurring at the imperial court, including her invitation to women artists,

her desire to incorporate aspects of Western influence and the ability to embrace modern

aesthetics. Surviving porcelain visually reveals the continuation of trends like the famille

rose palette in vivid modern pigments. Along with this, traditional iconography,

especially of birds and flowers, connects late Qing painting to porcelain. The emerging

styles are unique to the era cultivating bright colors, densely painted flower patterns, and

delicate brushwork. By incorporating her own ideas and even her own paintings, Cixi

was able to breath originality into Chinese porcelain, ultimately prompting the

modernization of porcelain. As a patron, the empress dowager unified the trends of the

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19 through 20 centuries by combining the ideals associated with the literati class, the
painting academies, and emerging commercial and popular culture. While ruling China

was restricted due to established traditions, the patronage of porcelain was unobstructed,

allowing Cixi’s artistic influence to flourish. Cixi’s innovative attitude toward porcelain

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shaped the trajectory of material culture from the late 19 century into the early republic.
When Cixi died in 1908, the porcelain industry lost one of its major artistic catalysts and,

arguably, one of the most critical patrons of the late Qing dynasty.

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