China, 19^th century. Oil on canvas. Finely painted with a beautiful lady seated in a chair and wearing long, loose-fitting robes, her right arm resting on a qin on a wooden table and her left holding a white chrysanthemum. The face with a fine expression marked by alert eyes and pursed lips.

Provenance: Collection of Henrik Eugen Reuterswärd, thence by descent to Marina Reuterswärd. Henrik Eugen Reuterswärd (1881-1964) was an employee of Mo och Domsjö, the Swedish pulp and paper manufacturer later led by the famous Asian art collector Carl Kempe (1884-1967) after succeeding his father as CEO in 1917. Reuterswärd began collecting Chinese art during the golden age of collecting in Europe and was possibly also inspired by his relative C.R. Patrik Reuterswärd (1885-1963), who was posted as charge d’affaires in Tokyo, Peking, and Shanghai between 1911 and 1914. The present painting is listed in Reuterswärd’s 1921 prenuptial agreement with Ebba Ingeborg Sjögren.
Condition: Good condition with minor old wear, little soiling, expected craquelure, and few minor touchups. Mounted on stretcher. The hardwood frame dating to the late Qing dynasty and with a fine patina and old bronze hook.

Dimensions: Size incl. frame 65.3 x 50.5 cm

From the late sixteenth century onwards, the newly enriched merchant class in China sought to spend its fortunes in a variety of amusements. There were wine shops, pleasure boats, and numerous luxury products, and all of these intersected with the rise of the courtesan culture. Beautiful, intelligent, and cultured young women skilled in music, literature, painting, singing, dancing, and conversation became sought after companions for men of means.

Portraits of idealized beauties were popular throughout the Qing dynasty. They conjured up the essence of feminine grace and attraction. Some do not represent real persons, but rather a romanticized version of the perfect, ideal woman. This specific genre was originally made for the domestic market only.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related painting, 66 by 51 cm, also dated to the 19^th century, at Christie’s Paris in Art d’Asie on 12 June 2019, lot 69, sold for EUR 10,625. Compare another pair of closely related paintings, also dated to the 19^th century, at Sotheby’s New York in Asian Art on 17 September 2016, lot 1130, bought-in at an estimate of USD 30,000-50,000.

清代《仕女圖》
中國，十九世紀。布面油畫。畫中一位仕女坐在椅子上，身著寬鬆的常服，右臂輕輕擱在木桌上的琴上，左手撚著一株白菊。面容寧靜，眼睛微微看向一側，嘴唇噘起，非常典雅。

來源：Henrik Eugen Reuterswärd收藏，一直保存至 Marina Reuterswärd。Henrik Eugen Reuterswärd (1881-1964) 曾是由著名亞洲藝術收藏家 Carl Kempe (1884-1967) 領導的瑞典紙漿和紙張製造商 Mo och Domsjö 的員工，後來在 1917 年接替父親擔任首席執行官後。Reuterswärd 在歐洲黃金時期開始收藏中國藝術品，可能還受到他的親戚 C.R. Patrik Reuterswärd（1885-1963 年）的啟發，他於 1911 年至 1914 年間在東京、北京和上海擔任代辦。這幅畫被列入 Reuterswärd 1921 年與 Ebba Ingeborg Sjögren 的婚前協議書內。
品相：狀況良好，有輕微的舊時磨損、少量汙漬、預期的龜裂和少量輕微修飾。清末硬木框，包漿細膩，老銅鉤。

尺寸：總65.3 x 50.5厘米

拍賣結果比較：比較一見相近的十九世紀的仕女圖（66 x 51厘米），見巴黎佳士得Art d’Asie 2019年6月12日, lot 69, 售價EUR 10,625。比較一對相近的十九世紀油畫，見紐約蘇富比Asian Art 2016年9月17日 lot 1130, 估價USD 30,000-50,000。