The Emperor of China's Gardens, the Imperial Palace, Peking
1796
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
About the artist
1796
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
The Emperor of China's Gardens, the Imperial Palace, Peking is a 1796 watercolor by William Alexander, a British Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
You see a watercolour painting of a Chinese garden with buildings and trees. The artist visited China as part of the first British embassy. He kept a journal and made many drawings to record his time there, which is interesting because it shows how little the British knew about China back then. Check out the work of artist: Alexander, William.
William Alexander, a draughtsman, accompanied the British embassy to China from 1792 to 1794, documenting the journey through sketches and a journal. The watercolor *The Emperor of China's Gardens, the Imperial Palace, Peking* reflects his observations of the imperial gardens in Beijing. Upon returning to London, Alexander expanded his preliminary studies into finished works for exhibition at the Royal Academy. The piece serves as a visual record of Qing dynasty architecture and landscape design from an outsider’s perspective.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
