清乾隆 銅胎畫琺瑯「西洋人物」長方圖板

of rectangular form, finely and delicately painted after Teniers, depicting a scene of European men drinking, paying cards and smoking clay pipes around a table, with one man raising his wine glass and turned to embrace a lady holding a pitcher in her hand beside a dog, all set in a river landscape, framed and glazed

Hermann von Mandl收藏，維也納
香港蘇富比1989年5月16/17日，編號431

This finely painted plaque is in genrally good condition, but on examination (through the framed glass) there appears to be two touched up (turquoise) cracks running from the lower centre edge, running through the right side of the table to the hat of the central seated figure and through the right leg of the right hand sitter respectively (5cm and 2cm). There is also an area touching up to the ground below the right leg of the table. There is some surface scratches to the ground area and slight wear to the enamel to the lower central edge.
"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."

此圖板設計創思靈感源於法蘭德斯畫家小大衛·特尼爾斯（1610-90）一幅油畫，描繪西洋人物飲酒作興，技臻藝絶，妙工巧成，為廣州琺瑯藝匠進貢清廷之代表作。畫工細緻入微，人物表情及柔和的光暗效果均顯西方裝飾藝術之影響。此作畫風亦可見於尺寸較大的廣東畫琺瑯西洋人物圖板，其中一作例繪有樂師於湖邊陽臺為一對紳士仕女演奏，曾借展倫敦維多利亞與艾伯特博物館、1985年柏林藝術節《歐洲與中國皇帝》展，編號7/25，1987年10月30日售於倫敦蘇富比，編號375（圖一）。另一幅相類的作例出自約克郡J. Clifford Roscoe 太太收藏，描述一群西洋仕女漫步於新古典式建築之間，曾售於倫敦蘇富比1961年11月21日，編號14，錄於R. Soame Jenyns，《Chinese Art. The Minor Arts》，弗里堡，1963年，圖版112。據Jenyns於頁244所述，此作應為外銷歐洲之用或為粉飾圓明園内之西洋樓，圓明園後於1860年被焚毁。

維亞納Hermann von Mandl收藏有一作例售於香港蘇富比2002年10月30日，編號206（圖二）。另一作例構圖相約，可能出自同一人之手，曾展於《中國畫琺瑯》，阿什莫林博物館，牛津，1978年，編號118，售於蒙地卡羅蘇富比1986年6月23日，編號1169。Elizabeth Halsey Dock收藏中有兩對畫琺瑯西洋人物圖板，於1993年6月1日紐約蘇富比分售，編號128及129（圖三），两對作例亦展於《中國外銷瓷器、琺琅器》展，威爾明頓藝術協會，威爾明頓，1957年，編號286-297。

約1684年，金屬胎畫琺瑯之技術經由耶穌會傳教士傳入廣州。廣州藝匠比北京造辦處更早接觸自歐洲進口之西洋琺琅器，從而掌握此工藝。據康熙五十五年（1716）之詔旨悉，兩廣巡撫徵調兩位廣州琺瑯藝師到北京内廷之琺瑯處伺候，詳見楊伯達，《清代廣東貢品》，香港，1987年，頁63。康熙孫兒乾隆帝亦曾於廣州招攬琺瑯畫匠進宫獻技。

金屬胎琺琅器製作過程可分幾個步驟：先於金屬胎表面塗上一層相類於瓷釉的白琺瑯釉，透過低温燒製將之鞏固後，由畫匠施畫琺琅彩，再經入窯以低温焙燒，最後將器物銅胎外露處（如口、足沿等）鍍金方告完成。琺琅彩原進口自歐洲，故亦稱「洋彩」。中國本土之琺琅彩生產約始於1728年，而最先被研發之不透明白琺琅彩，乃藝術家控制光暗色調時必須之物，對繪畫風景、動植物尤其重要。時至乾隆年間，中國金屬胎琺琅器工藝已臻成熟，於形式及設計上充分反映宮廷之奢華品味，深獲乾隆皇帝青睞與支持。