Oil on canvas

101.5 × 78 cm. 40 × 30 3/4 in.

Signed in English and dated on bottom right
PROVENANCE
Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York
19 Jan 1999, Christie's Amsterdam Auction, Lot 227
Private Collection, Europe
Private Collection, Asia

Note： A label of Hirschl & Adler Galeries New York is affixed on the reverse

The Prosperous and Luxurious Late Qing Dynasty
The Oriental Treasures of Hubert Vos

Born in the Netherlands, under the tutelage of the famous artist Jean Francois Portaels, Hubert Vos was awarded the Gold Medal in the “Contemporary Masters Exhibition” in Amsterdam in 1887, making him one of the best Dutch painters. Following in the footsteps of his mentor, he traveled around the world to gain life experience and to learn about foreign cultures.

In 1905 on his second visit to China, Vos realized his dream from six years earlier by becoming the first ever male painter from the West to make a portrait for the Empress Dowager Cixi. Subsequently, the painter was generously rewarded with not only 13000 taels of silver together with a grade II double-dragon medal but also a lot of lavish gifts including jade bowls, crystals and porcelains. These art crafts, which represented the highest level of Chinese artistic achievement, became important subjects in his later years. Vos began to paint still life, mostly with Chinese porcelain and furniture, influenced by the idea that “poetry comes from inanimate objects”. In 1972, the French government preserves the painting in the Palais de Luxembourg, no doubt is the highest honor.

The Qing Palace Porcelain depicts the Empress Dowager Cixi's gift of a beautiful oriental object. The painting's center sits an exquisite blue enamel vase, with the delicate shape of the vessel showing the fine taste of its owner. The work is based on the backdrop of an antique Chinese screen, and the ink and black brocade is painted with Chinese scenes, leading one to look into the oriental mood of “Spring River and Moonlight”. With Rembrandt's classical coloring, Vos has restored the prosperity of the late Qing Dynasty, providing the West and the world with a rare window into the anecdotes and treasures of the mysterious Far East, giving this work a profound meaning among collectors.

Price estimate:
HKD: 150,000 - 250,000
USD: 19,300 - 32,100

Auction Result:
HKD: --