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Lot n° 339
Estimation :
4000 - 8000
EUR
CHINA - 19th century. - Lot 339
CHINA - 19th century.
Ink and color on silk, representing fourteen theater actors, nine of them on stilts in a mountainous landscape.
Dimension at sight : H 50 x W 73 cm. Framed under glass.
Reference: Similar objects in the Palace Museum, number: 00136620/00061167.
Theatrical figure paintings at the Qing Dynasty court first appeared in partial form on the Kangxi Wanshou Tu (The Painting of the Longevity of the Kangxi Emperor), completed in 1717. In the late Qing Dynasty, due to Empress Dowager Cixi's love for the theater, court painters followed the empress's wishes and painted a large number of magnificent theater paintings. These paintings were created during the Tongzhi and Guangxu periods, the period when Cixi was actually in charge. The costumes and clothing of the characters in these paintings mostly correspond to the stage costumes preserved in the Forbidden City Museum in Beijing, some of which are close to photographic reproductions, thus preserving a great deal of valuable information about stage art.
These paintings can be divided into three categories: full-length or bust portraits of theater characters; scenes of performances; and panoramic views of the theater building. The painting presented in this sale belongs to the second category, in which the artist depicts more than ten theater actors on stilts with delicate brushstrokes, which not only bring the characters to life, but also show the interaction between the characters and the living form of the stage performance.
At a time when there was no film or photography, court painters used paint to freeze the most exciting scenes of the performances. These theatrical paintings are treasured to this day, allowing future generations to see a vivid aspect of the emperors' lives and to experience the once glorious history of Chinese theatrical art.
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