Footnotes

• Provenance: Robert Byron (1905-1941), the distinguished English travel writer. The family believes that it was purchased by him in Beijing circa 1935.
  
  It is interesting to note that this subject matter and depiction of European elegant figures has intriguing stylistic links with a group of four large Canton enamel rectangular plaques, believed to have been formerly displayed in one of the European palaces in Yuanming Yuan. One of these important panels was sold in our London rooms, 8 June 2004, lot 103; another one was sold at Christie's London, 16 November 1999, lot 414; the pair was sold at Sotheby's London, 30 October and 3 November 1987, lot 375, formerly on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is possible that there is a common design source for both these Canton panels and the present large gouache, which has not yet been identified. It seems very unlikely that such specifically European designs, using an elaborate perspective to provide depth to the landscape, were designed by Chinese artists, even under the influence of Castiglione (Lang Shining) at the Imperial Court in Beijing.
  
  One of these panels was illustrated by D.S.Howard, A Tale of Three Cities: Canton, Shanghai and Hong Kong, London, 1997, colour plate 201: see also S.Jenyns and W.Watson, Chinese Art II, the Minor Arts, London, 1963, p.152, fig.112 for one of the other panels in this apparent set.

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Category: Asian Art / Chinese Works of Art

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