QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)

Yizhou is the pseudonym of the prominent Qing-dynasty art collector An Qi (1683-1745?). An Qi was a native Korean who followed his father to Beijing in his early years, serving as a tributary diplomat. He became a trusted aide of the powerful statesman Mingju at the Kangxi court, and was granted the right to conduct salt business in Tianjin and Yangzhou, through which he amassed enormous amount of wealth, allowing him to form one of the most extensive and formidable art collections in Chinese history. His collection of paintings and calligraphy encompasses some of the most well-known masterpieces such as A Letter to Boyuan by Wang Xun. After An Qi’s decease, his family fortune diminished considerably, with a majority of his art collection acquired by the Qianlong Emperor, many of which are illustrated in Shiqu Baoji (Catalogue of the Qing Imperial Collection).