Birthday Celebration / Naval Commisioner

These paintings were both commissioned by Qing officials in China in 1849. The inscriber of Birthday Celebration, Li Hui (d. 1853) is recorded among the exemplary biographies in the Official History of the Qing Dynasty. His resistance against the forces of the Taiping Rebellion was particularly noted, receiving praise from the Xianfeng Emperor. He died in service against the rebellion in 1853 (Qingshi Gao, Liezhuan 212). The inscriber of Naval Commissioner, Sun Yunhong, identifies himself in his inscription as a naval official.

Both paintings contain strikingly individualised portraits of their central figures, set within broader narrative scenes. The careful attention to skin tone and bone structure in the faces of the figures illustrates a synergy of European and Chinese modes, typical of elite commissions of the period.