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Man reading a book: 4166.4

An image of Drawing
View image details Mirador icon - view image Mirador deep zoom IIIF Manifest IIIF Manifest Slow looking

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Alternative views

An image of Drawing
An image of Drawing
Current Location: In storage

Titles

Man reading a book

Maker(s)

Sunqua (Attributed)

Entities

Categories

Description

A watercolour drawing from the album 4166. This image depicts a male Qing official seated in a wooden chair beside a wooden table. The figure wears an elaborate orange-red robe decorated with intricate blue and gold patterns throughout. The upper portion features geometric cloud motifs while the lower section displays waves in dark blue with floral embroidery. He also wears a black cap with a peacock feather. The official is seated in a dark wooden chair with a high back and armrests. He is reading a book held in his left hand. There are several objects on the table next to him, including a hat stand holding a hat, a green teacup, and a black vase with red cockscomb. The painting is executed in the style typical of Chinese export art from around the late 18th or early 19th century, with careful attention to details in the clothing and furniture. The style combines Chinese painting techniques with elements designed to appeal to Western tastes, particularly in the detailed rendering of the figures' clothing and accessories.

Measurements and weight

Height: 365 mm
Width: 256 mm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1909) by Bothamley, Rev. H.

School or Style

Chinese
Chinese export art
Chinese export watercolour

Materials used in production

Watercolour
Bodycolour
White highlights
Ink

Components of the work

Support composed of pith paper

Techniques used in production

Drawing : Watercolour, bodycolour, and ink with heightening in white, gold and silver on pith paper, laid down with with strips of blue silk-covered paper

Identification numbers

Accession number: 4166.4
Primary reference Number: 185630

Audit data

Created: Monday 10 October 2011 Updated: Thursday 28 August 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Man reading a book" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/185630 Accessed: 2025-12-07 09:08:48

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/185630 |title=Man reading a book |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-07 09:08:48|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-185630

Bootstrap HTML code for reuse

To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:

<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp82/4166_284_29_201106_amt49_dc2.jpg"
        alt="Man reading a book"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Man reading a book</figcaption>
    </figure>
</div>

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