Artwork
Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Peking
Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Peking is an unspecified painting by Ferdinand van Kessel the Elder. It dates from 1682 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting titled "Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Peking" by Ferdinand van Kessel the Elder, housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, depicts a scene that includes a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, various waterfowl such as ducks and swans, a parrot family (Psittacidae), and architectural elements representing Beijing city fortifications and the Western Hills. These elements combine natural history illustration with topographical detail, reflecting 19th‑century European interest in exotic fauna and colonial landscapes. The inclusion of specific bird species and cityscape serves as symbolic representation of faraway China, merging scientific observation with artistic imagination.
Technique & Style
The sources do not specify the medium, support, pigment, handling, or present condition of the work.
This small-scale painting by Ferdinand van Kessel the Elder measures 17 cm in height by 23.3 cm in width, consistent with the cabinet-picture format typical of his animal scenes. Classified simply as a painting, it is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The composition combines views of Beijing city fortifications and the Western Hills with a menagerie of birds, including Psittacidae, a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, kingfishers, ducks, and a swan, arranged among trees, a hallmark of Kessel's globe-spanning series of animal views.
The sources do not specify the medium, support, pigment, handling, or present condition of the work.
History & Provenance
The painting Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Peking is part of the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. It is catalogued under the museum's standard accession system, though the specific inventory number is not disclosed in the available documentation. The work measures 17 cm in height by 23.3 cm in width.
Its provenance is recorded only as being held by the Kunsthistorisches Museum, with no further transfer details or exhibition records cited in the sources. Consequently, the painting’s exhibition history cannot be specified beyond its presence in the museum’s permanent holdings.
Overview
Ferdinand van Kessel the Elder, a Flemish Baroque artist recognized for his detailed landscapes and still lifes, created Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Peking around 1682. This painting is part of a larger series depicting the four continents, presenting a vibrant array of animals set against a distant view of Beijing's fortifications. It is currently housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ferdinand van Kessel the Elder
Ferdinand van Kessel (1648 – 1696), was a Flemish Baroque painter known for his landscapes, still lifes and genre pieces with monkeys.
- Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Amadabad
Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Madrid
Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Malta
Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Kap der Guten Hoffnung
Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Boa Vista
Ansichten aus den vier Weltteilen mit Szenen von Tieren: Damaskus
