Page 148 - Bonhams Chinese Art NYC Nov 9 2017

91
JESUIT SCHOOL STYLE
18th century
Ink and colour on silk, depicting European figures
within buildings painted according to single-point
perspective and chiaroscuro, on the lower right
a foreign horseman approaches a staircase with
a European carrying a flag, while three European
figures look down at the horseman from the building
above, glazed and framed.
118cm (46 1/2in) high x 66cm (26in) wide.

£1,200 - 1,800
CNY11,000 - 16,000

十八世紀 夷人策騎 設色絹本

Provenance: Francesco Maria, Marchese Taliani de
Marchio (1887 - 1968), Grand Officer of the Italian
Crown, Commander of the Order of St Maurice
and Lazarus, and Commander of the Order of
Pius IX (Ordine Piano), and his wife Archduchess
Maragaretha d’Austria Toscana, Marchesa Taliani de
Marchio (1894 – 1986).
According to the collection inventory list, acquired
from Scuola Geraldini.

來源：
佛朗西斯高•瑪利亞，塔里安利•得•馬基奧侯爵
（1887-1968）及馬加烈特•奧地利-托斯卡納女大公，
塔里安利•得•馬基奧女侯爵（1894-1986）伉儷收藏
據檔案記載，購自古董商Scuola Geraldini

The painting’s use of linear perspective shows the
influence of European painting on Chinese artists
who began experimenting with this technique
brought by European Jesuits at the Qing Court.
The clothes of the European figure holding the flag
on the staircase are more 17th century in style,
implying that the Chinese artist was copying from
older imported European etchings. Furthermore, in
terms of composition, the lower half of the painting
up to the first floor of the building seems somewhat
disconnected (note that the staircase on the upper
floor is drawn without taking into consideration the
perspective of the rest of the painting), indicating
that the lower half and upper half were perhaps
based on two separate prints that the artist had
creatively fused together to create a unified painting.

Compare with a Chinese wall paper fragment, 18th
century, depicting Europeans amidst buildings
drawn with single-point perspective, which was sold
at Christie’s New York, 7-8 February 2017, lot 97.

(inventory list)

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.