The Empress Dowager, Tze Hsi, of China

Maker(s)
Artist: Katharine Carl (American, ca. 1862-1938)
Sitter: Empress Dowager Cixi 慈禧太后 (1835-1908)
Historical period(s)
Qing dynasty, 1903
Medium
Oil on canvas with camphor wood frame
Dimensions
H x W (painting, not including frame): 297.2 × 173.4 cm (117 × 68 1/4 in) H x W x D (frame assembled): 505.8 × 262.9 × 142.2 cm (199 3/16 × 103 1/2 × 56 in)
Geography
United States
Credit Line
Transfer from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S2011.16.1-2a-ap
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Oil painting

Keywords
empress dowager, portrait, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), ruler, United States, WWII-era provenance
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Published References
  • Daisy Yiyou Wang. Empress of China's Forbidden City: New Perspectives on Qing Imperial Women. vol. 49, no. 6 Hong Kong, November/December 2018. cover, p 35, p 42, fig. 4.
  • Jane C. Ju. : Why Were There No Great Chinese Paintings in American Museums before the Twentieth Century? vol. 57, no. 1. p.73.
  • Marco Musillo. Tangible Whispers, Neglected Encounters: Histories of East-West Artistic Dialogues, 14th - 20th Century. Art, Book 3 Italy. p. 125, fig. 18.
  • Alexandra B. Bonds. Bejing Opera Costumes: The Visual Communication of Character and Culture. New York. p. 207, fig. 7.25.
  • Alexandra B. Bonds. Beijing Opera Costumes: The Visual Communication of Character and Culture. New York, New York. p. 207, fig. 7.25.
Collection Area(s)
American Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use