Jakob Van Der Schley Copperplate Engraving of China's Imperial Palace as Rendered by Johan Nieuhof, 18th Century

Jakob Van Der Schley

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[China] Copperplate engraving by Jakob Van Der Schley of China's Imperial Palace as rendered by Johan Nieuhof. 18th century. Measures 12.25 x 10 inches. Image shows the outdoor courtyard of the Forbidden City's Imperial Palace, its walls lined with soldiers, a small group of supplicants waiting to approach the entry to the throne room. Text in banner above image reads "Salle Imperiale de L'Audience tiree de Neiuhof." Jakob van der Schley was a Dutch artist who engraved the frontispieces for Prevost's Histoire Generales Des Voyages published in the Hague in 1747. As western explorers like Nieuhof reached China during the 17th century, they sent back reports that captivated the European imagination and were picked up in secondhand accounts by writers like Prevost who had interest if not direct experience. A strange blend of truth and mythology, mistranslation and exaggeration, these accounts and accompanying illustrations provide insight into the Age of Discovery's reach as well as its limitations. creased where folded. Overall in very good condition.

Item #18295

Price: $220.00