George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney; Sir George Leonard Staunton, 1st Bt 

Lemuel Francis Abbott painted this portrait of George Macartney and George Leonard Staunton, likely in Britain. The portrait presents a moment of encounter between Britain and China at a time of growing imperial ambition. We see the Earl, a diplomat, presented in a style that emphasizes his status and authority, complete with a red sash, lace collar and powdered wig. Macartney's embassy to China in 1792-94 aimed to expand trade and establish diplomatic relations, but it ultimately failed because of cultural misunderstandings and political realities. The image creates meaning through visual codes of power and status, referencing British social hierarchies and imperial aspirations. The historical associations of this portrait are deeply embedded in the narrative of colonialism and cross-cultural exchange. Art historians use archival research and postcolonial theory to understand these power dynamics, revealing how art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.