Coco Li
Cataloguer / Sale Coordinator, Chinese Works of Art
Lot 37
A FINE REVERSE GLASS MIRROR PAINTING OF TWO FIGURES IN A LANDSCAPE WITH OVAL FLORAL SURROUND 18th century
14 December 2023, 17:00 EST
New YorkSold for US$21,760 inc. premium
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Dessa Goddard
Senior Vice President, US Head, Asian Art Group
Michael Hughes
Vice President and Head of Department
I-Hsuan Chen
Senior Specialist
A FINE REVERSE GLASS MIRROR PAINTING OF TWO FIGURES IN A LANDSCAPE WITH OVAL FLORAL SURROUND
18th century
the rectangular glass, delicately painted with an ethereal oval composite floral garland of multi flowerheads and leafy tendrils, in-filled in the lower quadrant with a hilly landscape with trees with a seated court official with a standing attendant.
the mirror 17in (43cm) x 15in (38.1cm), framed
the rectangular glass, delicately painted with an ethereal oval composite floral garland of multi flowerheads and leafy tendrils, in-filled in the lower quadrant with a hilly landscape with trees with a seated court official with a standing attendant.
the mirror 17in (43cm) x 15in (38.1cm), framed
Footnotes
十八世紀 圈花風景人物玻璃鏡畫
For a reverse glass painting of similar type from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, see Francine Giese, Hans Bjarne Thomsen, Elisa Ambrosio, and Alina Martimyanova (Eds.), China and the West, Reconsidering Chinese Reverse Glass Painting, Berlin and Boston, 2023, Chapter 16, Thierry Audric, 'A Brief History of Chinese Reverse Glass Painting', p. 261, fig 3, for an outdoor scene with three figures enjoying music and poetry set within a floral garland surround and dated to circa 1760, and where the author notes that paintings in which members of the Chinese upper classes relax at the water's edge in their beautiful gardens are a common subject. In the Riksmuseum example, a high-ranking Mandarin in winter clothing, a fur-lined hat and coat, plays traditional percussion instruments, while a young Manchu woman, sitting beside him, plays the pipa, a Chinese flute. A young Chinese girl, standing, accompanies them on the reed flute. The background (like our example) includes an expanse of water, lined with Chinese villas. The remaining unpainted part of the mirror forms the sky. This landscape, very typical of Cantonese reverse glass paintings, is inspired by that of the Pearl River, on the banks of which the holiday houses of the Cantonese upper classes were dotted at this period. Within this primarily Chinese image, two Western influences emerge: the linear perspective of the river, and the use of garlands to frame the scene.
For another reverse glass painting of a similar genre from Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire, UK, see op. cit., Chapter 10, Patricia F. Ferguson, 'Reflecting Asia, The Reception of Chinese Reverse Glass Paintings in Britain, 1738-1770', p. 170, fig. 9, depicting 'A seated Nobleman with Attendants on a Terrace' with a rectangular floral surround encasing the scene (rather than the oval of this example).
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