The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 30, 2026

A horizontally oriented sepia-toned albumen photograph depicts two colossal, weathered stone warriors facing one another across a winding dirt path. To our right, a man in dark robes leans against a statue. The path meanders through tall, spindly grass toward smaller, hazy figures in the middle distance. Jagged, hazy mountains rise under a pale sky. The composition emphasizes aged stone textures and soft light, capturing stillness in the open landscape.

Portrait of a Man at Nanking Tombs/Stone Warriors

c. 1870
photographer

Lai Fong (Afong Studio)

(Chinese, c. 1839–1890)
China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Albumen print
Image: 21.3 x 27.4 cm (8 3/8 x 10 13/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 2026.69.a
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Lai Fong was the preeminent Chinese photographer of the 19th century.

Description

Lai was a talented photographer and shrewd businessman who operated a studio in Hong Kong called Afong Studio. He competed successfully with British and European competitors, perhaps because, as he advertised, his catalogue of views of China were “larger, choicer, and more complete…than any other in the Empire.” He provided an insider’s look at the modernization and other changes brought to China by trade and war with Western nations.
  • -October 8, 2026
    Stephan Loewentheil, New York, NY, sold to The Cleveland Museum of Art
    October 8, 2026-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Portrait of a Man at Nanking Tombs/Stone Warriors|url=false|author=Lai Fong (Afong Studio)|year=c. 1870|access-date=30 October 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2026.69.a