Ancestor Portrait of Mandarin and First Wife

Chinese ancestor portrait of a Mandarin Dignitary. Antique tempera on paper painting of a Mandarin Dignitary wearing a red court dress and s...

Believing that the departed continue to hold influence over the lives of the living, many Chinese households honor their ancestors in private family rituals, invoking their spirits for long life, health, and prosperity. Commemorative portraits, which came into vogue in the late Ming and Qing dynasties, were commissioned specifically for ancestor worship and were believed to house the spirits of the deceased. When properly cared for, one's ancestors were believed to be a powerful source of honor, protection, and good luck. This pair of ancestor portraits was hand-painted in the late-19th century and beautifully depicts a Qing-dynasty couple. While some ancestral portraits offer a more stylized representation of one's ancestors, this particular pair is painted with incredible realism and life-like expressions. Rather than depict the pair in a regal hall wearing elaborate finery, the couple is shown in a quiet home environment, seated at either end of a square tea table. Their surroundings are minimal, practically undecorated, and they wear simple, matching blue silk robes. Two young children stand beside them, each trying to capture the attention of their grandparent. We love the painting's close attention to detail and the glimpse it offers of Qing-dynasty interiors - from the carved apron of the marble-top table to the red silk lotus slippers...

This intricately detailed composition is a late-Qing dynasty ancestor portrait depicting several generations of a family's male ancestry. Or...

Imbue your interiors with history and reverence using this exquisite pair of late 19th-century Chinese ancestor portraits. Ren...

Portrait of a Mandarin Boy, Watercolor Bernard L. Cohen, (American, 20th Century), Asian Figure, 1992, watercolor on paper, signed, dated, l.r. 20 by 14 in., overall, 27.5 by 20.75 ...

A nice pair of Chinese ancestor family group portraits, 19th century, on paper, framed in teak frames under glass. Twelve characters total in per...

Painting "Portrait of an Ancestor", 19th century Dimensions: Frame height 134 cm, width 112.5 cm The painting height 102 cm, width 80 cm.

Vintage (20th Century) Chinese pen and ink family ancestor portrait capturing nine honorees seated in front of scrolls bearing text framed by curta...

Rare set of three portraits of Napoleon with his wife Maria Luisa of Austria and the image of The Dauphine, son of the king of France. This set is truly rare! hand painted and framed...

Original oil on board portraits dating to around 1840, depicting an affluent husband and wife. Each portrait is beautifully rendered with fine attention to detail and expression, cap...