• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • English
  • 简体中文

Loewentheil China Photography Collection

  • Home
  • About
  • Gallery
  • Photographers
  • About the Collection
  • About the Collector
  • Selected Highlights
  • Exhibitions
  • Press
  • Links
  • News
  • Contact

Felice Beato

Felice Beato
North Gate, Beijing
1860
Albumen print, 2 print
43 x 59 cm

Felice Beato
Great Imperial Palace, Beijing
1860
Albumen print

Felice Beato
Panorama of Beijing
1860
Albumen print
23 cm x 173 cm

Felice Beato made the earliest known photographs of China’s capital city, Beijing. His photographs, taken in 1860 and 1861, are irreplaceable visual records of Chinese history. Scholars consider Beato’s sweeping panoramic views to be among the greatest achievements of early photography in China.

This stunning multi-print panorama of Beijing is the most prized of the artist’s photographs. The photographer’s unparalleled skill allowed him to capture the grandeur of the ancient city Beijing using the new technology of photography. The elongated format and striking use of perspective owe a debt to traditional Chinese handscrolls.

© 2021 Stephan Loewentheil · Loewentheil China Photography Collection · Policy and Copyright Information