Details
CollectionStraits Chinese Collection
Object numberB2012-0003-011-0
TitlePortrait of Tan Beng Wan
CreatorLim Kim Swee
Description“The three portraits [by Lim Kim Swee] in the NUS Collection [B2008-0001-001-0, B2008-0001-002-0, B2012-0003-011-0] were executed some years after the death of the subjects - the formal nature of the paintings, and their ornate carved frames clearly indicate their function in the context of ancestral halls and rituals. The subjects are given a pictorial treatment that recalls traditional Chinese portraiture, yet the influence of photography and Western drawing techniques are evident especially in the pictorial composition and in the rendering of the faces. The poses and court costumes of [Wee Boon Teck and Tan Beng Wan] are identical, with each holding a fan in one hand and clasping the beads of their court necklace with the other. Only the type of hat differs in each painting. Clearly a template was employed for the bodies, while the faces were most probably copied from photographs. …The signature of the artist in roman letters, “Drawn by Lim Kim Swee, Singapore” and the annotation of Gregorian calendar dates, as with the paintings by Ong Qwee Hong, subtly reveal the complex negotiations with modernity.” (Inherited & Salvaged, Family Portraits from the NUS Museum Straits Chinese Collection, Page 56).
Production placeSingapore
Production date 1896
MaterialWatercolour, Gouache and Gold Leaf on Paper, Watercolour Paint, Gouache, Paint, Gold Leaf, Paper
TechniqueGilding
Dimensions
H: 98.5 cm
L: 72 cm
H: 111.5 cm
L: 85 cm
L: 72 cm
H: 111.5 cm
L: 85 cm
Credit lineGift of Agnes Tan Kim Lwi
