Zittende man en vrouw kijkend naar een kind 1731

Michel Aubert created this print called "Sitting man and woman looking at a child" some time in the first half of the 18th century. It's an image purporting to show the clothing of people from the Chinese province of Hou Kouan. But how reliable is it? In the 1700s, European ideas about China were shaped by limited contact and a fascination with the exotic. Prints like this one, made in Europe, often reflected European fantasies more than Chinese realities. Notice the figures' clothing and the stylized landscape – how much is accurate representation, and how much is European imagination at play? Understanding this image means looking at the history of cultural exchange and the power dynamics between Europe and China at the time. Investigating the artist's sources and the publishing context can reveal much about the European perception of China in the 1700s. The meaning of this artwork, therefore, is contingent on historical and institutional context.