A Mandarin or Magistrate of Turon attended by his Pipe-Bearer

Location

Country: China
City: Beijing
Place: British Embassy

William Alexander was born in Maidstone, Kent; the son of a coachbuilder. He entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1784 and may have trained under watercolourist Julius Caesar Ibbetson. He travelled to China as Junior Draughtsman in Lord Macartney's embassy of 1792 to 1794 and his drawings of the expedition were later engraved. In 1802 he became the first Master of Landscape Drawing at the Royal Military College in Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire. He held an interest in medieval architecture and travelled throughout Britain, drawing churches and monuments. His drawings of Egyptian antiquities in the British Museum were engraved and published between 1805 and 1807. In 1808, he was appointed the Museum’s Assistant Keeper of Prints and Drawings.
James Caldwell was born in London. He trained as a pupil of line and stipple engraver John Keyse Sherwin (1751-1790). Draughtsman, etcher and line, stipple and aquatint engraver of decorative subjects, topographical views, portraits of celebrities (including actress Sarah Siddons and philosopher David Hume) and caricatures after his contemporaries, including Carter, Adams, Hamilton and others. Caldwell exhibited in London at the Free Society of Artists and the Society of Artists between 1768 and 1780. He is last known to have been working in 1789.

Places

Far East, China

Subjects

smoking pipe, topography, mountain, river, beard, Chinese, man, turban, fan, servant, Magistrate, diplomatic meetings & state visits, sailboat

Materials & Techniques

engraving

Artist

William Alexander (1767 - 1816)
James Caldwall (1739 - c.1823)

Title

A Mandarin or Magistrate of Turon attended by his Pipe-Bearer

Date

published 12 April 1796

Medium

Engraving

Acquisition

Purchased from Sotheby's, 29 May 1996

GAC number

16966