A LARGE 18th CENTURY CHINESE SCHOOL 'PALACE' PAINTING 'CERAMIC MANUFACTURING IN THE VILLAGE'

Ink, gouache and watercolor on paper, backed with paper
China, late 18th century

Large and vividly painted depiction of a village in picturesque setting. In the foreground we see a craftsman at the terrace of a ceramic kiln and next to him are two rows of ceramic vessels that need to dry. Further up is a merchant offering an already glazed vessel to a wealthy man in noble attire. Women and children are walking towards a residential estate, all carrying fans and one a table screen. Pine trees in the foreground and cragged, overgrown rocks throughout and a turquoise blue river build the nature setting for the individual little scenes.

The present artwork is made in the tradition of the Gengzhi tu, 'Illustrations of Ploughing and Weaving', depicting all aspects of Chinese rice-production and silk cultivation. The work was commissioned by Emperor Kangxi and was published in 1696, comprising woodblock prints by the court painter Jiao Bingzhen and accompanied by Kangxi's own poetry. The emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong also published such works, while Qianlong added the theme of the porcelain production to the two existing series. During the Qing dynasty, many versions of the production processes were published. Not only were they much sought after on the Chinese market, but they were also produced for Western buyers, to whose taste they were adapted.

This painting was part of a series that came from a castle in Czechoslovakia, the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna has several of those panels displayed in their permanent exhibition - see online catalog for pictures of the presentation in the MAK.

Shape: Rectangular vertical shape
Dimensions: approx. 215 x 91 cm
Condition: Shows tears, creases, small holes, stains and material loss (mainly at the margins)
Provenance: Old Austrian Private collection, assembled in the 1930s to early 1950s

Literature comparison: Christie's, Asian Art, 20 - 21 May 2008, Amsterdam, lot 231. (for an album with watercolors, made in the tradition of the Gengzhi tu, dating to the 19th century)

十八世紀大型院躰水彩畫《山村陶瓷工坊》
紙本水墨設色，紙本加固
中國，十八世紀晚期

風景如畫的村莊中，陶瓷工坊裏有一位工匠，他旁邊是兩排需要晾乾的陶瓷器皿。工坊外有一位士兵，為他的長官捧著一個大盒子。婦女和兒童正在路上行走，不遠處還有一群婦人，手中拿著扇子，侍女擡著刺綉棚子。四周綠樹假山，其間小河徜徉。

這件作品是采用“耕織圖â€的傳統而作，那幅作品裏可見中國水稻生產和絲綢種植的各個方面，由康熙皇帝委託創作，於1696年出版，由宮廷畫家焦秉真繪製，並附有康熙的詩歌。雍正皇帝和乾隆皇帝時期也創作了類似作品，而乾隆在現有的兩個系列中增加了瓷器生產的主題。在清代，許多版本的生產流程都被發布。他們不僅在中國市場備受追捧，而且還為西方買家生產，他們的口味也得到了調整。

這幅畫是捷克斯洛伐克城堡的一套作品的一部分，維也納藝術博物館也曾在其常設展覽中展出了其中的幾幅。

立軸
尺寸：約 215 x 91 cm
品相與年代相符，有水跡、材料缺失
奧地利私人老收藏，上世紀三十年代至五十年代間購入
文獻參考：佳士得《亞洲藝術》，2008年5月20-21日，阿姆斯特丹，231號拍品（意見來自十九世紀的《耕織圖》風格的水彩冊頁）