Painting thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

c.1795 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This painting is from an album that contains 28 pictures showing Chinese men and women in different costumes. The Chinese caption explains that the subject is a 'Tartar lady'. The first owner of the album has made his own annotations in pencil.

In the late 18th century Europeans thought that Chinese clothes and hairstyles were very peculiar. Numerous paintings similar to this one were produced to satisfy their curiosity.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Watercolours on paper
Brief description
Painting, watercolours on paper, Guangzhou, China, c.1795
Physical description
This painting shows a Manchu woman wearing a blue surcoat and a long white scarf, holding a pipe in one hand and a fan in the other. Above the figure are two lines of text, one in Chinese characters, the second an English translation. The translation reads; Tartar like Fair Lady, though its accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dimensions
  • Height: 19.2cm
  • Width: 11cm
  • Height: 19.1cm
Album length 19.6cm, album width 12.2cm, album height 1.5cm.
Style
Object history
This painting is one of twenty-eight from an album depicting the costumes of various chinese officials, tradesmen, soldiers and artisans. The whole series is numbered D.895-1898 to D.922-1989.
Purchased from E. Parsons & Sons, accessioned in 1898. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Summary
This painting is from an album that contains 28 pictures showing Chinese men and women in different costumes. The Chinese caption explains that the subject is a 'Tartar lady'. The first owner of the album has made his own annotations in pencil.

In the late 18th century Europeans thought that Chinese clothes and hairstyles were very peculiar. Numerous paintings similar to this one were produced to satisfy their curiosity.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
D.906-1898

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Record createdMarch 4, 2003
Record URL
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