Through Distant Eyes: Portraiture in Chinese Export Art

This exhibition catalogue focuses on the representation of Westerners in export art during the 18th and 19th centuries, including objects of Chinese porcelain, unfired clay sculptures and paintings on glass.The catalogue brings together portraits of 40 different personalities in 62 catalogue entries. Mostly ordered through private trade and in small numbers, the objects featured in this catalogue were produced in China, but in some instances decorated in Holland, for a multiplicity of purposes: as tokens of personal association with religious or political movements, family mementos, emblems of personal status, fashionable furnishings, or served to commemorate or satirise current events. It explores the mastery of the Chinese artists in achieving an accurate appearance of those portrayed, even though their sources were often secondary representations, such as prints and medals.