THE ART OF REVERSE-PAINTING
The practice of painting on mirrors developed in China after 1715 when the Jesuit missionary Father Castiglione arrived in Beijing. He found favor with the Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong and was entrusted with the decoration of the Imperial Garden in Beijing. He learned to paint in oil on glass, a technique that was already practiced in Europe but which was unknown in China in 1715. Chinese artists, already expert in painting and calligraphy, took up the practice, tracing the outlines of their designs on the back of the plate and, using a special steel implement, scraping away the mirror backing to reveal glass that could then be painted. Glass paintings were made for export, fueled by the mania in Europe for all things Chinese. Although glass vessels had long been made in China, the production of flat glass was not accomplished until the 19th century. Even in the Imperial glass workshops, set up in Beijing in 1696 under the supervision of the Bavarian Jesuit Kilian Stumpf, window glass or mirrored glass was not successfully produced. As a result, from the middle of the 18th century onwards, when reverse glass painting was already popular in Europe, sheets of both clear and mirrored glass were sent to Canton from Europe to be painted. Once back in Europe the best were often placed in elaborate giltwood Chippendale or Chinoiserie frame, as with the present lot.
POPULAR MOTIFS
The grand residences of Chinese high society included sweeping verandas overlooking their vast landscaped gardens. In the Canton region, many villas were situated on the banks of the Pearl River, thus providing beautiful views and the possibility of having a dock or landing place for pleasure sampans. The Cantonese reverse mirror painters regularly portrayed such romantic settings, which often featured beautiful women and Chinese aristocrats at leisurely pursuits. There are related examples which share similar compositions to the present lot, such as one sold Christie's, London, 19 May 2021, lot 101 that also features a familial scene on a nearly identical veranda with a small dog and a pair of garden seats in the background. The similarities are strong enough to suggest the painters were probably working from a shared print source supplied to their workshop. Likewise, the inclusion of the nursing mother in this reverse-painted mirror is likely influenced by Catholic iconography of the Madonna and Child, which would have been introduced to China by the Jesuit missionaries. Since these works were made for export, the painters were tailoring to their western audience.
DEPICTIONS OF CHINESE HAIRSTYLES AND CLOTHING
The multi-ethnic Qing dynasty was not founded by the Han Chinese, who form the majority of the Chinese population, but rather by the Manchu people from the northeastern region of Manchuria. As such, the Qing emperors promoted many Manchu customs at court and throughout China. This mirror depicts a beautiful scene of a Manchu family in their gardens along the Pearl River. The man's summer clothing is in the Manchu style and is indicative of his status as a wealthy Qing Dynasty official. He is wearing a Liangmao (涼帽), or 'cool hat', which was made of woven rattan-like material and worn by Qing officials during the hot summer seasons, in contrast to the Nuanmao (暖帽), or 'warm hat' which was made with black velvet and worn in the winter seasons. He holds a falcon which is a further symbol of his Bannerman identity, as falconry was integral to Manchurian culture.
THE PROVENANCE
This reverse-painted mirror was in the collection at Wateringbury Place, which was the remarkable creation of David Style. John Harris described the collection in the introduction to the Christie's 1978 sale catalogue: 'The compositional result is so idiosyncratic as to defy description. My memory is a kaleidoscopic effect of colour and objects, warm and rich, quirky, full of amusement and flashes of inspirational juxtapositions'. Not all items were selected on purely decorative merit, many pieces were of extraordinary quality: the Italian ormolu and pietra dura cabinet from Hamilton Palace, pieces from Ashburnham Place and Leeds Castle, a suite of Regency furniture by Morel & Hughes from Northumberland House.
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