Chinese Ancestor Painting

This Chinese ancestor painting was made in the 19th century. Chinese ancestor paintings like this one were often commissioned of a relative after they passed away. Artists usually focused on depicting the person’s interests and status more than their physical likeness in this sort of painting, and as such, they are like documents with a lot of information to offer about the sitters.

This portrait features a man and two women who, though wealthy, were not officials or the relatives of officials. If the man were an official, he and his relatives would have been depicted wearing his rank badges. These three people seem to be seated in a void, without any objects to indicate who they were as people. The women wear hair ornaments and the man wears a summer hat with silk fringes and holds a fan. The thrones are covered with brocade fabrics.