IN THE EARLY 1700s, the ruling emperor of China had a curious request: “Bring me a westerner!”
Although Chinese painting had been through hundreds of years of evolution, the Kangxi Emperor was intrigued by western art, which had a notably different style. The message was sent out by members of the Jesuit community in China…
![](https://fridayeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/consort-chunhui.jpeg)