Veertien Chinese vogels, waaronder eenden en ijsvogels 1742 - 1750

This drawing of Chinese birds, including ducks and kingfishers, was made by Gabriel Huquier, likely in France, sometime in the 18th century. At this time, chinoiserie - an appropriation of Chinese artistic styles - was highly fashionable in Europe. These ‘Chinese birds’ are, in fact, a fantasy conjured in Europe, an example of how the Western gaze exoticizes and appropriates other cultures. Huquier never travelled to China; he based his drawings on imported objects and illustrations. The sketches would have been produced in a workshop setting for later use by other artists. The image is fascinating as an example of the way European artists and consumers imagined China and its natural wonders. It’s a reminder that artistic creation is never a solitary process, but is embedded in a complex web of economic exchange and cultural appropriation. We can begin to unpack that complexity through a careful examination of trade records and the history of collecting at institutions like the Rijksmuseum.