CHINESE SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURY

This pair of portraits depicts a seated Qing prince and a noble lady. The prince is identifiable by his formal attire: a richly embroidered yellow robe emblazoned with a four-clawed dragon, and a rounded hat with a prominent ornament. The noble lady’s robe also features a four-clawed dragon, indicating she occupies an equivalent rank to the prince, affirming that these two paintings are part of a pair. The deep black ground accentuates the dramatic highlights on the figures’ angular bone structures and elaborate robes.