A Foot soldier
1800
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1800
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
A Foot soldier is a 1800 paint by Unknown, a Chinese Orthodox School work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a foot soldier with his rifle on his shoulder. He's dressed in traditional clothing from the early 19th century. The soldier is from the Guangxi province, which is why foot soldiers were often called 'Guangxi'. This painting is part of a group that showcases different Chinese costumes. Europeans were really interested in Chinese fashion back then. They liked the unique dresses and hairstyles that were different from their own. You can learn more about this style by looking into the technique of chiaroscuro.
A rectangular painting depicts a foot soldier standing with a rifle resting on his shoulder, wearing a blue shirt beneath a chest plate marked by a central emblem, paired with beige trousers. It is one of twenty-two works illustrating civilian and military attire, shown in male-female pairs, from early 19th-century China. The soldier’s costume reflects the Guangxi province’s role in supplying foot soldiers, commonly called "Guangxi." Produced for European interest in Chinese dress and hairstyles, the image was mass-replicated as a souvenir.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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