Court lady of Yongzheng emperor
A Lady of the Yongzheng Emperor in Han Chinese Costume
Artist: Anonymous court painter
Color on silk, 194 x 98 cm.
1700––1722, late Kangxi period
 |
Luxury and loneliness This painting of a court lady surrounded by beautiful antiquities hints at the splendor—and the isolation—of palace life. Wives of the emperor could rarely leave the palace. A line from the eighteenth century novel, Dream of the Red Chamber, summarizes this paradox. A fictional consort of the emperor asks, “How much happier are those whose home is a hut in the field, who eat salt and pickles and wear clothes of cotton, than she who is endowed with wealth and rank but separated from her flesh and blood?” |
|
 |
From the catalog: This is one of the twelve “fantasy” painting that were made for Yongzheng before he took the throne in 1723. Each painting shows a court lady engaged in leisurely pursuits such as reading, sewing, or enjoying flowers. The one in this painting seems to be content with an environment full of antiquities. The paintings portray ideal pastimes for consorts in the eyes of their imperial husband. |
|
Photos courtesy of Palace Museum, Beijing |
||
