Reverse glass painting of two seated women in an interior: M.5-2022

Titles

Reverse glass painting of two seated women in an interior

Maker(s)

Painter: Unknown (Possibly)

Entities

• Painting

Categories

• Glass

Description

Reverse glass painting in original Chinese gilt frame, in style of Louis XVI. Depicting two seated women in an interior. Two women are depicted on a rug, one of whom is seated on a cushion and is being offered a drink by the other kneeling in front of her, holding a tall drinking vessel and a bottle. Both women wear shorts, open jackets and long skirts with intricate details. Their jewellery is made of rubies and pearls, including hair ornaments. The scene is set within a room and behind the seated woman is a chīnīkhāne, a Persian term that means “house of porcelain”. A collection of blue and white imported Chinese ceramics painted with floral decorations is displayed on the shelves. To the right, there is a dark hanging panel, illustrated with gold motifs and an ornamental red border. Behind the seated woman is another decorative textile panel. The enclosed space is accentuated by the sloped, low wooden ceiling.

Legal notes

Bought with funds from the Belvedere Trust and the Cunliffe Fund

Place(s) associated

• Canton ⪼ India

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bought (2022) by Amir Mohtashemi Ltd

Dating

19th Century
Production date: circa AD 1800

Note

The composition of this painting has parallels to 18th and 19th century Chinese export watercolours and other paintings that depict interiors of shops and residences. The function of the space is defined by the furniture and wall accessories: in the case of this painting, by the chīnīkhāne and the hanging panel. The Chinese ceramics indicate a wealthy, cultured household, emphasised by the prominent place of the chīnīkhāne in the composition. The motif of pink flowers in a porcelain vase features frequently in Chinese export paintings (see a Chinese reverse glass painting dated to c. 1775-85 in the American Museum in Britain, 2007.5). Such reverse glass paintings were produced by Chinese artists for an elite Indian clientele. There was not only a high demand for Chinese reverse glass paintings in Europe and America, but they were also exported from the mid-18th century onwards to the west coast of India by Parsi traders. By the late-18th century Chinese commercial artists had settled in western India to produce such paintings. These included Chinese artists who were employed at the royal courts of the princely states, for example, Kutch and Mysore. The reverse glass painting technique originated in 15th-16th century Europe, and it is thought that Jesuit missionaries introduced it to China, where reverse glass paintings were made as early as the 1730s. They became very popular in the Chinese export art trade, which began in the 18th century and reached its height between 1800- 1850, catering for the demand in the West for paintings and porcelain made in China. Guangzhou (Canton) was the centre of production for export art, including reverse glass paintings.