拍品 3202
  • 3202

清乾隆 郎世寧等作《純惠皇貴妃朝服像》 設色絹本 鏡框 御題:《純惠皇貴妃》

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描述

  • 御題:《純惠皇貴妃》
  • ink and colour on silk
hanging scroll, ink and colour on silk, majestically and vividly painted in precise detail with Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui seated in formal robes (chao fu) on an elaborate throne, the full-length imperial-portrait (shengrong) of the imperial consort resplendently rendered with a well-proportioned and porcelain-complexioned face, the regal yet serene expression accentuated with a powerful gaze transmitted from her almond-shaped eyes, the lips picked out with a warm ombré coral colour, flanked by a pair of earlobes adorned with three embellished double-gourd drop earrings on each side, clad in a fur-edged ceremonial costume comprising a full-length robe (chao pao) under a further full-length sleeveless vest (chao gua) with shoulder epaulettes projecting outwards from both shoulders, the vest opening down the centre along a border enclosing stylised lingzhi blooms, the garment elaborately decorated with five-clawed scaly dragons soaring sinuously amidst multi-coloured lingzhi blooms, above stylised 'shou' roundels and brightly coloured lishui diagonal stripes, all against a rich blue ground, the grandeur further highlighted with long beaded necklaces (chao zhu) of varying colours and sizes elegantly hanging over and around the figure's upper torso, all below a kerchief under a court hat (chao guan) with a black fur brim and a crown decorated with red floss silk tassels and ornamented gold phoenix, the golden-yellow rectangular throne framed on three sides with an ornate throne-back entwined with ferocious dragons sinuously writhing around the members, all supported on dragon-head cabriole legs terminating in claw-and-ball feet, the figure seated on a thick yellow-ground cushion decorated in multi-coloured threads with auspicious emblems, inscribed on the right with five characters by the Qianlong Emperor reading Chunhui Huangguifei ('Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui'), mounted on imperial yellow silk embroidered with phoenix amidst swirling clouds

Condition

The condition of the portrait is very good overall. There are two tears to the silk, each approx. 1 in. long; one on the left-hand side of the headdress on the last red strawberry-like ending, the other to the plain background on the right-hand part approximately at shoulder level. The damage is insignificant given the age and type and has been restored. Otherwise there are a number of creases which are visible in the photograph. The catalogue image shows only a cropped detail of the entire portrait which is available online. No full-length imperial portraits are extant outside of the Palace Museum, Beijing.
"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."

拍品資料及來源

談 《純惠皇貴妃朝服像》軸
聶崇正

在清朝的宮廷紀實繪畫中,帝后的肖像畫數量相當多,自入關起的第一代順治皇帝始至末代宣統皇帝止,以及他們的后妃,幾乎都有穿戴整齊的朝服像存世,為我們瞭解這些帝后的相貌提供了十分準確的形象資料。這其中尤以乾隆一朝為最盛。乾隆皇帝享年八十九歲,在位六十年,退位後還做了三年的太上皇,在這長達將近一個世紀的歲月中,他經常不斷地請畫家為其畫像,從年輕尚為皇子時的寶親王,一直到老態龍鍾的耄耋之年,在不同時期有不同的畫家為其畫像。不僅乾隆皇帝自身留下有眾多的肖像畫外,他的若干后妃的容貌,也通過這些宮廷畫家之手保留了下來。

乾隆當政的前半期,為乾隆皇帝和他的后妃們畫像的藝術家中,有一位歐洲畫家,他就是意大利人郎世寧。這位生於1688年(康熙二十七年)的御用畫家自康熙五十四年(1715)來到中國後,就始終沒有離開過他宮廷畫師的崗位,直到乾隆三十一年(1766)去世,他的遺體也埋葬在了遠離他家鄉的中國北京,至今墓碑尚存。郎世寧在宮中擔當一個非常主要的工作就是為皇帝和后妃們繪製肖像畫,從留存下來的作品可以看到他工作的成果,並且在清宮內務府的檔案中也有他從事這項工作的記載。

郎世寧是在歐洲接受的繪畫基本功訓練,寫實技藝十分扎實,他的逼真的肖像畫與好大喜功的乾隆皇帝的興趣兩相吻合,便產生了如此眾多的宮廷肖像畫作品。正是由於乾隆皇帝對郎世寧肖像畫的賞識,所以乾隆前期皇帝的御容和后妃的肖像,絕大多數都出自畫家郎世寧之手。

但是,由於大部分這類肖像畫上均不署畫家的姓名,以至對於這部分肖像畫作者的判斷與辨認造成了一定的困難。原因是宮廷中為皇帝或后妃畫像,供奉畫家雖然感到十分榮耀,但事實上,這又是一件非常卑恭的差事,為了表示對於皇帝和后妃們的尊敬,畫家一般是不能在這些御容畫上署名的,這在現時北京故宮博物院和臺北故宮博物院收藏的帝后肖像畫,尤其是朝服像上可以看到很多這樣的實例。雖然在對這部份作品的判斷與辨認上會造成一些困難,但是在乾隆時期,供奉內廷的中國畫家和歐洲畫家畫風上的差異是顯而易見的,對於經常接觸這部份作品的研究者來說,這並不是一個很難解決的問題。

這裏要提到的《純惠皇貴妃像》軸,就是一件乾隆皇帝妃子的肖像畫。該圖為絹本設色,縱198公分、橫123公分,畫幅上既無作者款印,亦無清宮收藏印章,只是在人物頭部的右側,有豎寫墨書一行「純惠皇貴妃」,從墨蹟看無疑是乾隆皇帝的手筆。我們從史籍上可以知道這位「純惠皇貴妃」,是滿族人,姓蘇佳氏,是蘇召南的女兒,生於康熙五十二年(1713),比乾隆皇帝小兩歲,雍正時是弘曆的側福晉,弘曆即位後不久即被冊封為純嬪,乾隆二年(1737)冊封為純妃,乾隆十年(1745)被冊封為純貴妃,至乾隆二十五年(1760)晉封為純皇貴妃,同年去世,享年僅四十八歲,追諡號為「純惠皇貴妃」。這幅肖像畫是目前所見純惠皇貴妃唯一的朝服像。畫像上乾隆皇帝的手書,應當是純惠皇貴妃去世以後所寫的,表達他對逝去寵妃的追思。

從這幅《純惠皇貴妃像》軸看,作者諳熟解剖結構,人物面部略有明暗,五官十分清晰,鼻子、鼻翼和面頰部分用色彩渲染,表現出立體的效果,又很精確地描繪了肌肉和皮膚的結構;畫中的寶座、地毯頗具前後的透視效果,描繪得很準確。這位皇貴妃的肖像在另外的一卷畫幅中也可以見到,那就是收藏於美國克利夫蘭美術館的《乾隆及后妃像》卷(又稱《心寫治平圖》卷)(圖一),在始畫於乾隆元年的這卷作品中,起首為乾隆皇帝,純妃則排在第四位(圖二)。將此畫卷中的純妃與畫軸中的純惠皇貴妃兩相比較,相貌一樣,就是同一個人,只是畫軸中的人比畫卷中的人年紀稍稍大一些;二者繪畫的手法亦相同。而《乾隆及后妃像》卷已是大家公認的郎世寧的作品,雖然畫幅上並沒有畫家款印,但是從畫幅上明顯的歐洲繪畫風格,可以確認是出自郎世寧之手。同樣,在《純惠皇貴妃像》軸上,尤其是對人物的臉部的刻畫,也能發現明顯的歐洲繪畫風格,二者又極為相似,所以,有同樣的理由可以確定這幅畫也是郎世寧的作品。不過需要說明的是,《純惠皇貴妃像》軸的衣紋、寶座和地毯部份,用線條勾勒,具有傳統中國繪畫的特點,應當是郎世寧的中國助手根據郎世寧的稿本著色補繪的。

這幅作品的裝裱還仍然保持著清宮原來的樣式,僅僅失去了天杆和地杆。

類似的后妃朝服像,還有北京故宮博物院所藏的《孝賢純皇后像》(圖三)軸和《慧賢皇貴妃像》(圖四)軸等。這些畫幅構圖格式相同,繪畫風格亦近似,人物面部刻畫細膩,具有明顯歐洲畫法的痕跡,它們應當都是出自畫家郎世寧之手。當然,郎世寧作於乾隆初期的作品,因為畫家年富力強,人物面部的描繪更為細緻,而且畫幅的全部都是由郎世寧獨自完成。到了乾隆的中期,郎世寧年事已高,他只是繪製人物的面部,而由他的中國學生以線條補畫衣飾和背景,在繪畫風格上自然會存在一些差異。