Empress Dowager cixi’s Image: From Initial Fear of Photography to โคPortraits in American Museums
Empress Dowager โคCixi, a pivotal figure in late qing Dynasty China, has long been the โsubject of debate regarding her appearance. โฃAccounts from both Chinese sources and foreign observers offer contrasting perspectives, often โคintertwined with political considerations.โข However, a tangible record of her likeness now exists in the form of photographs and portraits,โ some โฃof which โare held in prominentโ American museums today.
Initial reactions โขto the newlyโข introduced technology of photography were โcautious. Cixi reportedly feared the flash, โbelieving it to beโ frightening, and initially refused toโข be photographed. It was only after Yu Deling explained โthe principles of the โcameraโข that โshe gradually overcame her apprehension and embraced the medium, recognizing its potential for projecting power and โฃprestige. Sheโ even commissioned photographs โขof herselfโค portraying Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion,โข images that continueโข to circulate today.
Foreigners who encountered Cixi also documented their impressions. American femaleโ painter Katherineโฃ Carr described her as “Beautiful, young and beautiful, and doesn’t look like a โคpersonโ in her โขseventies. If I didn’t knowโ inโฃ advance that she wasโ nearlyโ 69 years old, I woudl definately think โthat this isโ a middle-agedโฃ woman in her 40sโค who is good at taking care of her.” American โฃpainter wars Hubo was surprised to find her more charming โฃthan her photographs, even experiencing “love at frist sight.” British officer Byckhaus, in his twenties, reportedly fell in love with the sixty-year-old Empress, documenting “sweet โฃmoments” in his memoir, “The Fall of Manchuria.”
however, the academic community โฃgenerally โขviews these flattering descriptions with a degree of skepticism, suggesting they wereโ often influenced by political motivations or the pursuit of โคpersonal gain.
A meaningful exmaple of Cixi’s image reaching international audiences is the portrait painted by Catherine and displayed โat the 1904 St. Louis Worldโ Expo.โฃ The portrait depicts Cixi as dignified and elegant, with notably slender and white fingers. While differing from herโ appearance in photographs, it aligned more closely with โคWestern aesthetic preferences.This painting was laterโ gifted by Cixi to US President Roosevelt and is currently part of the collection at the Smithsonian Museum of โคAmerican Art.
Today, historical photographs and portraits offer a more direct glimpse into the appearance of thisโ powerful woman, moving beyond rumor and speculation. These preserved images,including those โขhoused in American museums,provide a valuable resource for understanding Cixi’s image and legacy.
(Source: Santi News Network SETN.COM – as โขindicated in the original prompt)