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A portrait of a courtesan, late Qing dynasty oil on canvas, the…
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Sydney
Date:
27-Oct-2015
Lot No.
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Description:
A portrait of a courtesan, late Qing dynasty oil on canvas, the young lady seated wearing a pale blue embroidered robe, with one hand clasped supporting her chin, the other holding a book on a table by her side, adorned with jewellery on her wrists, fingers, ears and hair, the face with porcelain like complexion and eyes with direct gaze and slight smile, her long hair parted in the centre and looped to either side, held by flowered hairpins, framed, 59 cm high, 44.5 cm wide. Provenance, Roland Jones Collection, David Jones Collection, Private Collection, Melbourne, Show Catalogue Notes, Catalogue Notes, Courtesans, beautiful, intelligent and cultured young women were sought after by the wealthy merchant class as companions to men of means. Paintings of these idealised beauties were popular throughout the Qing dynasty. Rather than a portrait of an actual person they mainly represented a romanticized idea of the perfect woman. During the19th century these paintings were produced in a variety of media, oil on canvas, gouache on paper and on reverse glass and in a wide range of quality. They also became popular with Westerners who admired their exoticism.
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Oriental: Art