Portrait of a forth-rank Chinese official

This middle-aged man with a healthy complexion is portrayed sitting with crossed legs on a large cushion, in typical Manchu manner. His winter semi-formal attire includes an informal court robe (changfu), a surcoat (bufu), and a fur collar. The lapis lazuli sphere atop his fur-brimmed winter hat indicates that he was a fourth-rank official, likely a military one since his fingernails are neatly trimmed, whereas a civil official, who administered state affairs indoors, would have long nails. Although there are no ready answers, it is certain that one (or two) Jesuit painter(s) serving the Qing court during the 18th century must have been responsible for its production. While using Western painting techniques, the painter(s) consciously adhered to Chinese aesthetic norms, such as frontal representation of the face, even distribution of light to avoid a dramatic contrast between light and shadow, symmetrical composition, and plain background.