Large Chinese Qing Period Reverse Glass Painting for European Market

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Large Chinese Qing Period Reverse Glass Painting for European Market

About the Item

This reverse glass painting is truly a one-of-a-kind piece. The scene has been beautifully rendered, with great attention paid to detail, on an remarkably large scale for a glass painting. The piece was created in China during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). Reverse glass painting flourished in this period, kick-started by the Emperor Kangxi, and continued by Yongzheng and Qianlong. By the early 19th century, when this work was created, Chinese craftsmen had perfected the art of reverse glass painting, and were producing a great deal of work for export to Europe. Such paintings were highly sought after by the European elite, who bought them to fill their grand country homes with colour and beauty. Employing the reverse glass painting technique, the artist would have worked onto the back side of the glass sheet. Once completed, the work would be turned over and viewed through the front piece of glass. This method gave the painting a glimmering, jewel-like quality. This Chinese painting depicts a port in Europe. To the left of the composition, a river winds its way through a mountainous landscape, and is dotted with sailing ships, a steamship, and punts. These punts cross the river, from a gateway on an island on the left, to land on the right, where there stands a white building with a classical portico. In the foreground centre, there is an area of green land, inhabited by shepherds, a flock of goats, women and a child. The subject matter depicts, on the one hand, a modern centre of commerce and industry—the steamship being an invention of the early 19th century—and, on the other, a timeless pastoral idyll, represented by the shepherds tending to their flock. The glass painting is displayed in a wooden frame.

Dimensions:
Height: 33.47 in (85 cm)Width: 46.46 in (118 cm)Depth: 1.19 in (3 cm)
Style:
Qing (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Glass,Wood,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
China
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Early 19th Century
Condition:
Some damages to the glass, which have been professionally restored.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 153771stDibs: LU956313595162