Willam Alexander Watercolour Drawing Chinese Bronze Lion Guardian From The Summer Palace Beijing Circa.1792

William Alexander 1767-1816. British School. Watercolour drawing. Bronze Statue of a Chinese Lion. Signed with initials lower right. 11.5 by 10 cms. Provenance: Thomas Agnew & Sons Ltd, London, 100th Annual Exhibition of Watercolours & Drawings, 15 January - 16 February 1973, No. 130.

William Alexander was a prominent late 18th Century English artist, painter, and engraver who served as the official draughtsman on the 1792-1794 Macartney Embassy to China. He created detailed watercolours and sketches depicting Chinese life, landscapes, and costumes, which shaped Western, particularly British, perceptions of China in the late 18th century.