With the Empress Dowager of China · Chapter
XXIV: The Winter Palace explained
The Empress Dowager and the Court move to the Winter Palace for the winter.
What happens
The Empress Dowager and the Court move to the Winter Palace for the winter. Katherine Carl describes the arrival ceremony, the architecture and interiors of the Winter Palace, and her disappointment with the studio provided for painting the Empress Dowager's portrait.
Themes in this chapter
Power and Governance
The Empress Dowager's authority is displayed through the elaborate reception ceremony and her control over the court's movements and traditions.
Art and Representation
Carl's role as portrait painter is central, and the chapter details the artistic features of the Winter Palace, including the throne-room and the studio space.
Observation and Interpretation
Carl's detailed observations of the Winter Palace's architecture, customs, and the Empress Dowager's behavior provide an outsider's interpretation of Chinese court life.
Characters to notice
- Empress Dowager Tze-Hsi
Arrives at the Winter Palace in a grand procession, expresses her preference for the Summer Palace, and shows her quarters to Carl.
- Katherine A. Carl
Describes the move to the Winter Palace, the reception ceremony, and her disappointment with the poorly lit studio.
- Emperor Kwang-Hsu
His throne-room is mentioned, and he is said to have given Carl the use of one of his halls for a studio.
- Young Prince Adalbert of Prussia
Mentioned in passing as one of the European royalties who sent presents to the Empress Dowager.
Key passages
“Her Majesty had her chair stopped in the center of the Court and got out, and I went up to salute her. She shook hands, and said she hoped I would be happy in the Winter Palace, but that it was a dull, depressing sort of a place, with too many walls and gates, after the open brightness, of the Summer Palace.”
The Empress Dowager stopped her chair in the middle of the courtyard and stepped out. I approached to greet her, and she shook my hand, expressing hope that I would enjoy the Winter Palace, though she described it as gloomy and confining compared to the airy Summer Palace.
The Empress Dowager's candid opinion of the Winter Palace reveals her preference for the Summer Palace.
“My heart fell. It was a dreadful disappointment to find that my studio, to which I had so looked forward, was so unsatisfactory as to light!”
I was deeply disappointed to discover that the studio I had eagerly anticipated was poorly lit, which was a major setback for my work.
Carl's reaction to the studio highlights the practical challenges of painting in the palace.