Page 61 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

The style can be found in her personal patronage of both painting and porcelain, proving

Cixi’s wide artistic influence during the late Qing.

Cixi established herself as both a painter and a patron of traditional Chinese

painting. She also utilized her affinity for painting as a means to explore beyond the

Forbidden City and began to embrace trends found within Western-style painting. This

exploration is best observed in Cixi’s patronage of Chinese portraiture, which was

inspired by Qianlong’s earlier examination of portraiture. In 1903, Cixi granted

permission for an oil painting to be completed by the American artist Katherine Augusta

Carl (1865–1938). Along with gaining Cixi’s patronage, Carl was also invited to reside

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in the Forbidden City as a member of the Chinese court. The two worked together

closely and developed a friendship recounted in Carl’s memoirs. According to Carl, the

empress dowager was incredibly artistic and knowledgeable in her patronage. Carl’s

portraits of the empress dowager provided Western audiences with a better understanding

of Chinese imperial life and provided a Western woman direct access to the inner

workings of Cixi’s world.

Carl’s portrait was displayed at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 and gained

particular notoriety due to its high amount of visibility (Figure 5). In the painting, Cixi

sits on a grand throne surrounded by lavish items like peacock feather fans and tall bird

inspired jardinière vessels. Within the space images with symbolic connotations are

visible, like the peony and phoenix. The latter represents a feminine association with

power. The empress dowager wears an elaborate yellow robe draped with lengths of

pearls. The motif embroidered into her robe depicts groupings of orchids along with the

43 Carl, With the Empress Dowager of China, 12.

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