Oil on canvas

102.5 × 79.5 cm. 40 3/8 × 31 1/4 in.

Signed in English and dated on bottom right
PROVENANCE
Hirschi & Adler Galleries, New York
19 Jan 1999, Christie's Amsterdam Auction, Lot 228
Private Collection, Europe
Private Collection, Asia

A label of Hirschi & Adler Galeries New York is affixed on the reverse

Reappearance of Oriental Treasures' Graceful Bearings
The Chronicle of the Late Qing Dynasty by Hubert Vos

Hubert Vos was born in Maastricht, Netherlands, and studied at the famous Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium, where he learned the essential skills of the principal of the academy, Jean Francois Portaels. In 1887, Vos won gold medals for two exhibited oil paintings at the Contemporary Masters Exhibition and Sale in Amsterdam, and he became one of the best portrait painters in the Netherlands. But he was not satisfied, and decided to travel around the world like his teacher Jean Portaels did, painting portraits of people from various countries. In 1905, Vos, who visited China for the second time, was invited to paint portraits for the Empress Dowager Cixi and became the first Western male painter to paint for Cixi. Cixi was so enthusiastic that she learned a sentence of English “Very good” from official Wu Tingfang to show her appraisal, which passed on as a much-told story. This precious portrait is still collected in the Wenchang Courtyard of the Summer Palace in Beijing. As a result, Vos received generous rewards from the Qing Government. In addition to a second-class Double Dragon Empire Medal, he also received precious jade bowls, exquisite crystals, and precious porcelains. This batch of treasures represents the highest artistic achievement in China and became an important subject of his creation in his later years. Vos immigrated to the United States in 1893 and carried this batch of family treasures with him, and began painting these still lives in his later years. Qing Palace Antique presented this time is a classic still life work created by the artist with the theme of the late Qing Dynasty palace utensils.

The Golden Bronze Kettle Reflects A Corner of the Palace

Qing Palace Antique features a bronze kettle rewarded by the Empress Dowager Cixi. The picture adopts a warm and yellow colour tone, supplemented by indoor light, to reveal a mystery for Westerners to understand the Oriental world. In this work, a gilt copper kettle is quietly placed on a printed tablecloth. The embroidered pattern on the tablecloth is beautifully brocade, echoing the copper kettle which reflects the external luster. The copper kettle is carved with delicate, three-dimensional butterflies, which are set against the two dragons on the garlic-mouth bottle with the same material on the left hand side, coinciding with the beautiful meaning of “in pair” in traditional Chinese culture.

See the Details, Embrace the Late Qing Dynasty

Regarding the light and layout of the work, the artist sets the light on the right hand side of the canvas. It seems that there is a faint candle light from outside, illuminating the utensils on the table. Vos adopts the traditional arc composition here to show the depth of the tabletop. The exquisite patterns of the tea cup and the indoor home furnishings reflected on the shiny copper pot body not only reflect the artist's meticulous observation, but also show the exquisite ingenuity of its composition. The windows and eaves of the room were reflected into the mirror, reproducing the interior architecture of the palace in the late Qing Dynasty.

Price estimate:
HKD: 150,000 – 250,000
USD: 19,300 – 32,200

Auction Result:
HKD: 354,000