Figurenstudien von Chinesen
1858
Medium
Bleistift, Aquarell auf Papier
Dimensions
20,5 x 27,5 cm
Classification
Zeichnung
Department
Belvedere Collection
Museum
Belvedere
Credit
Belvedere, Vienna
Accession Number
2260a
About this artwork
Rückseitig Bleistiftskizze: Baum mit Figuren.
Art Historical Context
**Figurenstudien voninesen** (Figure Studies of Chinese People), created by Austrian artist Joseph Selleny in 1858, captures the artist's keen eye for human form during a pivotal moment in global exploration. Selleny as the official draftsman on the Austrian frigate *Novara*'s groundbreaking world expedition (1857–1859), the first major scientific voyage sponsored by the Habsburg Empire. Encountering Chinese communities—likely in ports like Shanghai or Hong Kong intimate drawing on paper (20.5 x 27.5 cm) reflects Europe's mid-19th-century fascination with the "Orient," blending ethnographic cu...