Portrait of Wu Bingjian (Howqua)
1845
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1845
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Portrait of Wu Bingjian (Howqua) is a 1845 paint by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a man sitting in a chair, wearing traditional Chinese clothing. He looks serious and dignified. The artist copied this portrait from another painter, which is interesting because it shows how artists shared ideas back then - the original was made by an English painter for a trader. You can learn more about this style by looking at the technique: sfumato.
A rectangular oil portrait depicts a seated figure in blue robes adorned with an embroidered green dragon medallion on the chest. The subject wears a long string of beads around the neck, and their face is characterized by thin features and prominent cheekbones. The work is a copy of an 1832 full-length portrait of Wu Bingjian, known as Howqua, commissioned from George Chinnery by the English East India Company. The copy was made by an anonymous Chinese artist.
Read the full account in the museum source.
