Interior with Woman, Child and Nurse
The depiction of illusionistic space was not limited to paintings made for export to Europe. In Qing China, images of women like this one were known as meiren, or beauty paintings. Made primarily for the commercial market, they often incorporated artistic techniques linked to Western fashions. Yet meiren also adorned some elite spaces in China, including the reading hall at the Summer Palace of the future Yongzheng emperor. In this trompe-l’oeil example, the viewer looks into an interior lavishly decorated with European-style wallpaper and architectural elements. With its multiple scenes, the composition encourages the eye to wander between the outdoor landscape and the figures of a mother and child with a nurse.
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