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[nb-NO]Record tools[nb-NO] [nb-NO]Displays[nb-NO]	[nb-NO]Details[nb-NO] Remove from selection Toevoegen aan selectie CollectionStraits Chinese Collection [nb-NO]Object number[nb-NO]B2008-0001-001-0 [nb-NO]Title[nb-NO]Ancestor portrait of Tan Keow [nb-NO]Creator[nb-NO]Lim Kim Swee [nb-NO]Description[nb-NO]“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).. “In response to the primary function of the ancestor portrait as a ritual object, artists making such images observed a pictorial schema that was generally regarded to be appropriate for the representation of deceased subjects. Several aspects of this schema appear in the ancestor portraits of Wee Boon Teck [B2008-0001-002-0] and Tan Keow [B2008-0001-001-0], the most distinct being the full-length seated, direct-facing pose. The frontal composition with a piercing gaze presents an authoritative and majestic air befitting someone whom descendants regard with reverence. It is a posture reminiscent of imperial portraits of the Ming era which were in turn influenced by earlier developments in images depicting deities.” (Inherited & Salvaged, Family Portraits from the NUS Museum Straits Chinese Collection, Page 21). [nb-NO]Production place[nb-NO]Singapore [nb-NO]Date[nb-NO] 1898 - 1898 [nb-NO]Object category[nb-NO]Portrait [nb-NO]Material[nb-NO]Watercolour, gouache and gold leaf on paper [nb-NO]Dimensions[nb-NO] H: 114.5 cm L: 83.5 cm H: 129 cm L: 101 cm [nb-NO]Credit line[nb-NO]Gift of Wee Lin

[nb-NO]Object number[nb-NO]B2008-0001-001-0

[nb-NO]Title[nb-NO]Ancestor portrait of Tan Keow

[nb-NO]Creator[nb-NO]Lim Kim Swee

[nb-NO]Description[nb-NO]“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).. “In response to the primary function of the ancestor portrait as a ritual object, artists making such images observed a pictorial schema that was generally regarded to be appropriate for the representation of deceased subjects. Several aspects of this schema appear in the ancestor portraits of Wee Boon Teck [B2008-0001-002-0] and Tan Keow [B2008-0001-001-0], the most distinct being the full-length seated, direct-facing pose. The frontal composition with a piercing gaze presents an authoritative and majestic air befitting someone whom descendants regard with reverence. It is a posture reminiscent of imperial portraits of the Ming era which were in turn influenced by earlier developments in images depicting deities.” (Inherited & Salvaged, Family Portraits from the NUS Museum Straits Chinese Collection, Page 21).

[nb-NO]Production place[nb-NO]Singapore

[nb-NO]Date[nb-NO] 1898 - 1898

[nb-NO]Object category[nb-NO]Portrait

[nb-NO]Material[nb-NO]Watercolour, gouache and gold leaf on paper

[nb-NO]Dimensions[nb-NO]

H: 114.5 cm
L: 83.5 cm
H: 129 cm
L: 101 cm

[nb-NO]Credit line[nb-NO]Gift of Wee Lin