PORTRAIT OF LAMQUA STUDIO OF LAMQUA, 19TH CENTURY

ink and colour of paper, portrait of a gentleman wearing a richly embroidered robe and court necklace, enclosed within a painted European-style frame, inscribed in pencil underneath: Lamqua certifié ressembler par A.B, framed

Gifted from Canton, 15th April 1860.
A Latin American Private Collection.

Inspected framed: There is a diagonal scratch to the left chest and some minor paint flakes to the left sleeve. There is a brown stain to the top left corner of the painting. Some general minor foxing.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Guan Qiaochang (1802-c. 1860), known to Westerners as Lamqua, was a Chinese painter from Canton producing a prodigious number of paintings tailored to the export market. Although he purportedly never left China, he was the first Chinese portrait painter to be exhibited in the West, and was represented at the Royal Academy in London in 1835 and 1845. Portraits of Lamqua are rare, however see an oil on canvas example dated 1853 in the Hong Kong Museum of Art, illustrated in Patrick Conner, 'Lamqua. Western and Chinese Painter', Arts of Asia, March-April 1999, pl. 1.