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Left:
Fig. 4.75. Reception in
the palace garden
(companion piece of
360-1139), anonymous,
oil on canvas, c. 1820s,
72 x 102 cm,
Museum Volkenkunde/
Nationaal Museum van
Wereldculturen,
inv.no. RV-360-1136.

Fig. 4.76. Reception in had been recorded in the Western tradition by nineteenth century) painted frames like this were
the palace garden Jesuit painter at the court of the Chinese never used on European oil paintings. 159
(from set of 19), oil on emperors, Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), Alternatively, it is also reasonable to assume that
glass, anonymous, and others, whose Western painting techniques the depiction of an emperor’s consort receiving
1785-1790, 52.5 x 81 cm, were then passed on to Chinese court painters. visitors in the palace garden could also be based
Museum Volkenkunde/ The oil paintings in Museum Volkenkunde fit on one of the classics of Chinese literature or on
Nationaal Museum van well in this context, with a scene of a reception a historical event. In addition to the depicted
Wereldculturen, in a palace garden, and an image of the women, this subject matter also often gave a
inv.no. RV-360-1121. emperor’s audience with an inspecting of his good impression of architectural elements of the
military troops. 157 (Figures 4.75. tot 4.78.) pavilions at the court. As we learn from Shan
Right: Although, according to Crossman, the subject Guoqiang’s research, it is known that so-called
Fig. 4.77. The emperor’s of an imperial audience was one of the most ‘gentlewomen paintings’ in the imperial ateliers
audience (companion ambitious themes a painter could execute, the during the time of the three most important
piece of 360-1136), theme of this specific imperial audience scene Qing emperors Kangxi (1662-1722), Yongzheng
anonymous, oil on was reproduced many times. 158 It is possible (1723-1735) and Qianlong (1736-1795), was a
canvas, c. 1820s, that the compositional arrangement was separate genre that made use of Western painting
72 x 102 cm, reproduced from a prototypical Western print of techniques. 160 According to Shan, it is possible,
Museum Volkenkunde/ a similar subject matter. This idea is supported therefore, that images by famous court painters
Nationaal Museum van by the fact that a black painted frame encloses ended up in Canton, and that these compositions
Wereldculturen, the scene in the same manner as early European were subsequently reproduced by export
inv.no. RV-360-1139. prints were executed. This was a traditional way painters. 161
of framing a print in the West. It should be The scene representing the emperor, of him
Fig. 4.78. The noted, however, that at that time (early holding court and inspecting his military
emperor’s audience
---
(from set of 19), oil on
157 Van der Poel 2007, 66-73.
glass, anonymous,
158 Crossman 1991, 165. I am aware of six remaining paintings with the theme: two in the collections of Museum
1785-1790, 52.5 x 81 cm,
Volkenkunde (inv.nos. 360-1122 and 360-1139), an example in the V&A Museum London (reverse glass painting,
Museum Volkenkunde/
inv. no. P.11:1, 2-1936) and three in private collections: via Martyn Gregory Gallery London (cat. 64, 1994; cat. 69, 1996;
Nationaal Museum van
cat. 77, 2001).
Wereldculturen,
159 Ibid., 163. Later in the nineteenth century the French painter Georges-Pierre Seurat (1859-1891) used painted
inv.no. RV-360-1122.
frames in his oil paintings.
160 Shan 1995, 56-59.
161 Ibid.