Wiping the Dust at the Five-Hundred-Stone Grotto Heaven, Vol. 5

...often passed through his hands. After his term of service ended, he retired and was entitled to a long-term pension at home for several years. Upon hearing about Mr. Xu's affair, he packed up his boxes and, through my disciple, asked for an audience to test his art. It was completed at once: one "Portrait of Sitting Alone," and another "Portrait of Lady Lu Incense Tasting." The light and shadow were rectangular, like the reflection of water and moon in clarity; I could not help but exclaim in admiration. Qiuyu then brought out old photos and albums to show me. Among them were more than ten portraits of Western women, which were especially subtle in their expression and distant in their intent. I compared them to those of the German Mr. Lan, and they were quite comparable. The other people were all holding boxes and following behind him. Mr. Lan was a long-time master of the trade in Singapore. He formerly served the monarchs of Siam and Johor and was awarded medals. Whenever he took a good picture, he would stamp it with the medals of the two countries, as is the Western custom. At the same time, he made the "Portrait of Serving Books in the Crimson Curtain" for me. The attendant Luo was dressed in Western clothing, standing by the seat, smiling, the spirit of the flowers and plants visible; those who saw it even suspected it was a copy of an ancient painting.

Western photography is a branch of optics. Therefore, the purity of the lens tube is the first principle, while the medicinal liquids and other materials are mixed with chemistry. The chemicals are all made in pharmacies; one only needs to use them according to the law to...