Bidspirit auction | Horses in a Spring Meadow,

Horses in a Spring Meadow, by Ai Qimeng (Ignatius Sichelbarth) - Ignaz Sichelbart (1708–1780), also known by his Chinese name Ai Qimeng and courtesy name Xing'an, was a Bohemian (present-day Czech Republic) Jesuit missionary and painter. He served as an important court painter during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty and is recognized as one of the “Three Great Western Painters” of the court, alongside Giuseppe Castiglione and Jean-Denis Attiret. Sichelbart excelled in figure and animal painting, particularly renowned for his depictions of horses. His technique blended Western realism with traditional Chinese brushwork: he emphasized perspective, anatomical accuracy, and light-shadow effects, resulting in highly three-dimensional and meticulously detailed representations. At the same time, he incorporated elements of Chinese line art and color aesthetics, developing a distinctive hybrid style. As a court artist, he produced significant works such as Ten Fine Horses and The Nine Elders of Xiangshan under imperial commission, often collaborating with Castiglione. Sichelbart played a key role in fostering artistic exchange and integration between Chinese and Western painting traditions at the Qing court.