William Alexander (1767 - 1816)

William Alexander

William Alexander was a British painter, illustrator and printmaker.

He studied painting at the Royal Academy and became a very famous artist. In 1792-1794 he accompanied the official embassy to Peking of Lord George Macartney on behalf of the British government, where he documented the visit and made many drawings of the Chinese court. These depict various mandarins, merchants, members of the royal family and members of Chinese society. In 1805, William Alexander published Costume of China, an album illustrated with 48 color prints, which was a success with the public.