Artist: Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766)
Date: Qing (1644-1911), dated 1725
Dimensions: Height 109.3 cm, Width 58.7 cm
Material: Ink and colour on silk
Giuseppe Castiglione, also known as Lang Shining (1688-1766), was born in Milan, Italy. He came to China as a missionary in the 54th year (1715) of the Kangxi reign and later served in the court. He was skilled in painting portrait, dog, horse, flower, bird, and landscape with a style combining the Chinese and Western methods. This painting presents a traditional theme and composition in the Chinese painting tradition with a figurative painting method from the West. The artist painted this painting at the age of 38 in the third year (1725) of the Yongzheng reign.