^{Title: Nanyang Cormorant/南阳鱼鹰
Category: French copperplate engraving/法国铜版雕刻手工上色
Engraved by: Jakob van der Schley
Date: 1749
Size: 19x25cm}

Johannes Nieuhof (1618–1672) was a Dutch traveler and writer of the VOC, best known for An Embassy to China (1665). In 1655, he joined the Dutch mission departing from Canton and reached Beijing after a seven-month journey. Although the embassy failed to achieve its trade ambitions, Nieuhof, as secretary and draftsman, meticulously recorded Chinese cities, architecture, customs, and people, producing over one hundred sketches. The book, illustrated with more than 150 copperplate engravings by Jacob van Meurs, was swiftly translated into multiple languages and became the most influential pictorial source on China in 17th-century Europe.

Nieuhof’s illustrations emphasized realism, distinguishing them from the exoticized depictions of the East prevalent in Europe at the time, and provided one of the first systematic visual representations of China. His work shaped European perceptions and profoundly influenced 18th-century Orientalist art and chinoiserie. While some images may have been refined by publishers, their historical and artistic significance remains undeniable. Today, original 1665 editions and engravings are preserved in major institutions such as the British Library, the Rijksmuseum, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the Library of Congress, serving as invaluable collections for the study of Sino-European cultural exchange and art history.

约翰内斯·尼霍夫（Johannes Nieuhof，1618–1672）是荷兰东印度公司著名旅行家与作家，以《中国使团记》（1665）闻名。1655年，他随荷兰使团自广州出发，历经七个月抵达北京。尽管未能实现贸易目标，但尼霍夫作为随团文书与绘图员，详细记录了沿途的城市、建筑、风俗与人物，并绘制百余幅速写。该书由雅各布·范·梅尔斯雕刻一百五十余幅铜版画，出版后迅速被译成多种语言，成为当时欧洲了解中国最具影响力的图像文献。

尼霍夫的插图强调写实，有别于17世纪欧洲流行的幻想化东方形象，为欧洲提供了系统而直观的“中国图像”。这些作品不仅塑造了西方对中国的早期认知，还深刻影响了18世纪的东方主义艺术与“中国风”装饰风格。虽然部分图像可能经过出版加工，但其文献与艺术价值依然不可替代。如今，1665年初版及其铜版画已被大英图书馆、阿姆斯特丹国立博物馆、法国国家图书馆、美国国会图书馆等世界重要机构收藏，成为研究中西文化交流与艺术史的珍贵馆藏。