Visitors to the Asian Galleries will not want to miss the two remarkable large-scale ancestor portraits, a feature of the exhibition The Lady at the Window: Figure Painting in the Qing Dynasty. In Chinese tradition, the dead were not entirely cut off from the living. From as early as the Shang dynasty (c. 1600 to 1030 BCE) written evidence - scratched on oracle bones or cast into bronze vessels - documents the dependence on the spirits of ancestors as a source of sacred imperial power. This relationship was later generalized to the larger population, as ancestors came to be considered the source of future wealth and family well-being. Commemorative portraits of the deceased placed above family altars were the focus for ritual supplication through offerings of food and incense. Portraits of worthy persons were also placed in Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist temples. For formal portraits, the facial likeness was rendered as faithfully as the commissioned artist was able. The face of the Manchu Lady shown here creates the impression of a living presence. In contrast, clothing was depicted schematically, with the clear display of the sitter's status a prime objective. Details, from the three earrings worn on each ear to the hat with gold-embroidered dragons, serve to tell the viewer that this family member, painted in her fur-lined winter robe, is actually close to the top levels of the Manchu court. The Lady at the Window: Figure Painting in the Qing Dynasty remains on view through February. Also on view is the ongoing, changing exhibition Face of the Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
