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Portrait of a Chinese Mandarin

Image credit: The Royal College of Surgeons of England

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Notes

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Traditionally, the sitter in this portrait has been identified as Quang at Tong (also transcribed as Whan at Tong) who visited the Royal Society on 12th January 1775. However, later research suggests that the sitter is in fact a Chinese modeller called Tan-Che-Qua (also transcribed as Chitqua) who was resident in London between 1769 and about 1772. Tan-Che-Qua exhibited work at the Royal Academy in 1770 and is included in Johann Zoffany's group portrait of the Royal Academicians, where he is shown in the same headgear as in this portrait.
In April 1771, John Hamilton Mortimer exhibited a portrait of 'Chit Qua, the Chinese modeller' at the annual exhibition of the Incorporated Society of Artists. It is highly probable that this is the same work.

Hunterian Museum

London

Title

Portrait of a Chinese Mandarin

Date

1770/1771

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 75 x W 62 cm

Accession number

RCSSC/P 242

Acquisition method

transferred from the Trustees of the Hunterian Collection, 1799

Work type

Painting

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Hunterian Museum

The Royal College of Surgeons of England, 35–43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Greater London WC2A 3PE England

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