Tartar Officer Courting Blond Lady
Medium
Album leaf; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
10 5/8 x 10 1/2 in. (27.0 x 26.7 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
From the Collection of A. W. Bahr, Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1947
Accession Number
47.18.66
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate album leaf, titled *Tartar Officer Cour Blond Lady*, captures an intriguing moment of courtship from China's Qing dynasty (16441911). Painted by an unidentified artist using ink and color on silk the small-format work (10 5/8 x 10 1/2 in.) was designed for intimate viewing within a personal album, a popular format among Qing literati and collectors. The scene features a Tartar officer—likely referencing Manchu military figures prominent in the Qing era—engaged with a striking blond lady, evoking themes of romance amid cultural encounter. Tags highlighting swords, men, and women s...