名称: View of the Lake Pao-Ying where it is separated from the Grand Canal by an Embankment of Earth《扬州宝应湖与大运河堤岸景观》 
类别: Hand-coloured British copperplate engraving/英国铜版雕刻手工上色 
艺术家: William Alexander 
版画家: William Ellis & Elizabeth Ellis
日期: 1796 
尺寸: 40x55cm 
Printed by: Pall Mall, London
Published by: George Nicol on April 12, 1796

Note: William Alexander（1767–1816）是英国著名的画家与版画家，以随马戛尔尼使团出访清朝期间的写生而闻名。他在1793年秋季随使团沿大运河南返途中，经过江苏扬州宝应一带，绘制了《扬州宝应湖与大运河堤岸景观（View of the Lake Pao-Ying where it is separated from the Grand Canal by an Embankment of Earth）》。画面展现了湖水与大运河之间由堤岸分隔的景观，既真实记录了当地的自然与工程景致，又体现出欧洲艺术家眼中东方水利景观的壮阔与秩序。Alexander 的速写以线条简洁、透视准确和细节考究著称，他善于结合西方绘画技法与东方风物，形成了独特的视觉记录。这幅作品在1796年由出版商 George Nicol 出版，Ellis 夫妇刻版，作为《使团访华图集》的一部分在伦敦发行，迅速在欧洲引起关注。如今，这件作品及其相关版画被大英博物馆、维多利亚与阿尔伯特博物馆以及美国部分学术机构收藏，不仅是研究十八世纪中英交流的重要图像资料，也是Alexander 艺术成就的典型代表，彰显了他在跨文化视觉再现上的贡献。

Ellis 夫妇（William Ellis 与 Elizabeth Ellis）是十八世纪末英国重要的版画雕刻家组合，以署名 “W. & E. Ellis” 活跃于伦敦。他们以精湛的铜版雕刻与蚀刻技法闻名，尤其在将旅行画师速写转化为高品质出版版画方面成就突出。1790年代，他们与出版商 George Nicol 合作，负责刻制 William Alexander 随马戛尔尼使团绘制的中国题材速写，使这些写生得以于 1796 年出版并广泛传播，成为欧洲了解清代中国景观和社会的重要视觉资料。Ellis 夫妇的作品注重线条的清晰与层次的微妙变化，既忠实再现原画的细节，又赋予画面雕刻特有的韵味。他们的版画现今被大英博物馆、维多利亚与阿尔伯特博物馆等重要机构收藏，不仅见证了十八世纪中英文化交流，也体现了英国铜版雕刻艺术的高水准。



名称: A Pai‑Lou, or Triumphal Arch《宁波城门前的牌楼》
类别: Hand-coloured British copperplate engraving/英国铜版雕刻手工上色
艺术家: William Alexander
版画家: William Alexander/威廉·亚历山大 
日期: Nov 17, 1793
尺寸: 19x25cm
Printed by: W. Bulmer and Co.
Published by: William Miller, London, 1805

Note: 马戛尔尼使团1793年夏季进入北京，完成朝贡任务后沿运河南返。11月中旬，使团从杭州出发，进入宁波，准备从舟山群岛启程返英。 1793年在11月17日到宁波，亚历山大在宁波城门前现场速写了这幅牌楼。
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The Macartney Embassy was the first official British diplomatic mission to China, led by George Macartney (1737–1806), which arrived in Beijing in 1792 with the aim of establishing trade relations and expanding Britain’s economic influence in China. The embassy included diplomats, clerks, scientists, and artists, among whom was the painter William Alexander, responsible for recording landscapes, cities, architecture, and local customs along the journey. The mission carried a large number of gifts, presented to the Qianlong Emperor according to Qing court protocol; however, due to differences in understanding of the tribute system and diplomatic etiquette between Britain and China, the embassy did not achieve a formal trade agreement. Despite the political objectives not being fully realized, the cultural, scientific, and artistic outcomes of the mission were highly significant. During the visit, William Alexander produced numerous on-the-spot sketches, including A Pai-Lou, or Triumphal Arch, depicting the archway in front of a city gate in Ningbo, Zhejiang, capturing details of Chinese urban architecture and social life. This work was later engraved in copperplate and hand-coloured, and published in 1805 by William Miller in London in The Costume of China, illustrated in forty-eight coloured engravings, providing European audiences with vivid and direct visual documentation of China and serving as an important reference for the study of Sino-Western exchange and 18th-century Chinese urban and cultural landscapes.  

The print A Pai-Lou in front of the City Gate of Ningbo is currently held in the following museums and institutions:

British Museum, Collection No. P,1870-0709-841, houses a version engraved by J. Chapman, as part of the The Costume of China series. The work depicts the scene under the arch, including an execution, horsemen servants, people smoking, and a Chinese fortress on the right.

Government Art Collection (UK) holds a version engraved by J. Chapman, also part of the The Costume of China series. The print shows the scene under the arch, including an execution, horsemen servants, people smoking, and a Chinese fortress on the right.

Cornell University Library, Collection No. 4510, houses a version engraved by J. Chapman, part of the The Costume of China series. The work depicts the scene under the arch, including an execution, horsemen servants, people smoking, and a Chinese fortress on the right.

马戛尔尼使团是英国历史上第一次正式派往中国的外交使团，由乔治·马戛尔尼（George Macartney, 1737–1806）率领，于 1792 年抵达清朝北京，旨在建立贸易关系并扩大英国在华经济影响。使团成员包括外交官、随行文书、科学家和艺术家，其中就有画师 William Alexander，他负责记录沿途景观、城市、建筑及民俗风情。使团携带大量礼品，按照清廷礼仪呈献给乾隆皇帝，但因中英双方对朝贡体系和外交礼节理解差异，使团未能达成正式贸易协议。尽管政治目标未完全实现，使团的文化、科学和艺术成果却极为丰富。William Alexander 在此次访问中完成了大量速写，其中《A Pai-Lou, or Triumphal Arch》描绘了浙江宁波城门前的牌楼景象，呈现了中国城市建筑和社会生活的细节。此作品后经铜版雕刻、手工上色，收入 1805 年由 William Miller 在伦敦出版的《The Costume of China, illustrated in forty-eight coloured engravings》中，为欧洲读者提供了生动、直观的中国视觉资料，也成为研究中西交流史和18世纪中国风貌的重要文献。

这幅《宁波城门前的牌楼》版画目前有以下博物馆和机构收藏：

英国博物馆（British Museum）,馆藏编号：P,1870-0709-841，收藏了由 J. Chapman 雕刻的版本，属于《The Costume of China》系列的一部分。该作品展示了牌楼下的场景，包括行刑、骑马的仆人、吸烟的人群以及右侧的中国堡垒。 

英国政府艺术收藏（Government Art Collection）收藏了由 J. Chapman 雕刻的版本，属于《The Costume of China》系列的一部分。该作品展示了牌楼下的场景，包括行刑、骑马的仆人、吸烟的人群以及右侧的中国堡垒。
 
康奈尔大学图书馆（Cornell University Library）,馆藏编号：4510, 收藏了由 J. Chapman 雕刻的版本，属于《The Costume of China》系列的一部分。该作品展示了牌楼下的场景，包括行刑、骑马的仆人、吸烟的人群以及右侧的中国堡垒。

Yale Center for British Art（耶鲁大学英国艺术中心）馆藏《The Costume of China》系列的多幅手工上色铜版画，展示中国不同民族的服饰和风俗。>>返回>>