Page 165 - Christie's Irving Collection Lacquer Bronse jade and Ink March 2019

Although glass vessels had long been made in China, the production 玻璃的燒製在中國源遠流長，然而將玻璃製成平板則要晚至十九世紀。即使是康
of fat glass was not accomplished until the nineteenth century. Even in the 熙三十五年（1696年）在傳教士紀裏安指導下創辦的内務府造辦処玻璃廠也未
Imperial glass workshops, set up in Beijing in 1696 under the supervision 能成功生産玻璃鏡面或是窗戶。因此在十八世紀中期玻璃畫在歐洲大行其道以
of the Jesuit Kilian Stumpf, window glass or mirrored glass was not 後，玻璃板被從歐洲出口至廣東，由富有經驗的中國匠師在其上作畫。中國匠師
successfully produced. As a result, from the middle of the eighteenth century 於玻璃胎畫琺瑯頗有心得，他們在玻璃板的背面勾勒圖案。在鏡面上，他們則需
onwards, when reverse glass painting was already popular in Europe, sheets 要先用一種特殊鋼質工具把鏡背塗層刮去。玻璃畫幾乎都用於外銷，體現了當日
of both clear and mirrored glass were sent to Canton from Europe. Chinese 歐洲熾盛的「中國風」。其多飾田園牧歌式的風景畫，人物多為中國人，其中最佳
artists, who were already expert in painting and calligraphy, took up the 的作品出口後會被裝入精致的齊本德爾式或中國風式金漆木框。玻璃畫以十八
practice of painting in oil on glass, tracing the outlines of their designs on 世紀的作品為佳，其構圖精致，色彩艷麗，細節豐富。十八世紀後期歐洲的莊園大
the back of the plate and, using a special steel implement, scraping away the 宅中往往陳設有這類精品玻璃畫，見證著一段國際貿易的佳話。
mirror backing to reveal glass that could then be painted. Glass paintings
were made almost entirely for export, fueled by the mania in Europe for all James Horlick准男爵四世（卒於1972）舊藏有一對飾相同畫片，工藝與本
things Chinese. They most often depicted bucolic landscapes, frequently 拍品一樣精湛的鏡畫，於2018年9月26日在紐約佳士得拍賣，拍品52號。The
Gerstenfeld珍藏亦有一件近似的鏡畫，或與James Horlick例出於同一作坊，
with Chinese fgures at various leisurely pursuits, and once in Europe the
best were often placed in elaborate giltwood Chippendale or chinoiserie 見Edward Lennox-Boyd編，《Masterpieces of English Furniture: The
frames. 18th-century examples represent the best of Chinese glass painting, Gerstenfeld Collection》，倫敦，1998年，頁64，圖48。
with elaborate compositions, rich color and fne detail. They are often
found in the great country house interiors of the second half of the century,
amazing survivals of a luxury trade.
A pair of mirror paintings with similar subject and of comparable high quality
was formerly in the collection of Sir James Horlick, 4th Baronet (d. 1972) and
sold in the recent sale, Christie’s New York, Rooms as Portraits: Michael S.
Smith, A Tale of Two Cities, New York & Los Angeles, 26 September 2018,
lot 52. A further mirror painting can be found in The Gerstenfeld Collection
with identical music-playing fgures to the Horlick mirrors, indicating that
they were most likely painted in the same workshop (see Edward Lennox-
Boyd (ed.), Masterpieces of English Furniture: The Gerstenfeld Collection,
London, 1998, pp 64, fg. 48).

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