4°william Alexander (1767-1816) A View In The Gardens Of The Imperial Palace In Pekin

[embassyof Macartney] [China]

4°William Alexander (1767-1816)

A view in the Gardens of the Imperial Palace in Pekin

engraved by JohnThomas Smith (1766-1833)

London published 12 april 1796 by G. Nicol

Watermark in the paper: 1794 and symbol

Subject: 23.8 x 35.4 cm. Plate : 29.4 x 39.4 cm. Sheet : 40.3 x 52 cm

William Alexander (1767-1816)

from a set of Six etchings illustrating a voyage to China in 1792-1794 : Peking, the Great Wall, the gardens of the Imperial Palace...etc.each engraved by a different engraver, from drawings by William Alexander

British painter, illustrator and engraver, in 1792, William Alexander accompanied a diplomatic mission led by Lord Macartney to China for 2 years, producing several hundred drawings and watercolors that were to become Europe's first of a vision of China. In particular, he was able to penetrate into the interior of the country and to Peking. This diplomatic mission was the subject of a report published in 1797 by Sir Georg eStaunton, illustrated with engravings inspired by William Alexander's drawings.

In 1805 William Alexander published "The costume of China" adorned with 48 illustrations.

https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/dis covery/history-stories/shaping-an-image-of-china-in-the-west-william-alexander-1767-1816/

All these engravings are antique, late 18th century, on wove paper, some have a watermark, and they  are in good condition. Their publication was carried out by the bookseller George Nicol in London in 1796.

Rare, they are among the earliest visual representations of China in the West.

Bibliography: Abstract of thesis entitled Negotiating Art and Commerce in William Alexander's Illustrated Books on China Submitted by Zhu Wenqi For the degree of Master of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong in July 2021

Images of China in the West are afascinating and complex subject that has caugh ...