This paper reports the first academic research on the collection of Yan Xinhou (1838–1906), a prominent gentry–merchant from the second half of the nineteenth century. It presents the Yan collection, now housed at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, and tells a fascinating story of the Yan family and how their collection came to the United States during the early twentieth century. More importantly, it provides a starting point for future explorations of the taste, collecting practices and social relations of the late Qing merchants. The collection contains thirty-two works of Ming and Qing dynasty painting and calligraphy, including calligraphy items by Zhang Ruitu (1570–1641), Jiang Chenying (1628–1699) and Qian Bojiong (1738–1812); paintings by Wang Shimin (1592–1680), Xiao Yuncong (1596–1673), Wang Wu (1632-1690), Ma Quan (active 1800s), Shangguan Zhou (1665–c.1749), Zheng Xie (1693–1765), Hua Yan (1682–1756), Xi Gang (1746–1803), Pan Simu (1756–after 1843), Zhao Wei (1746–1825), Qian Du (1764–1845), Gai Qi (1773–1828) and Wu Xizai (1799–1870).

中文翻译：

---

从商人到精英艺术家和收藏家

本文报道了对 19 世纪下半叶杰出的绅商严信厚（1838-1906）收藏的第一次学术研究。它展示了 Yan 的收藏，现在收藏在康奈尔大学的 Herbert F. Johnson 艺术博物馆，并讲述了 Yan 家族的一个迷人故事，以及他们的收藏是如何在 20 世纪初传入美国的。更重要的是，它为以后探索晚清商人的品味、收藏方式和社会关系提供了一个起点。馆藏明清书画三十二件，包括张瑞图（1570-1641）、江晨英（1628-1699）、钱伯炯（1738-1812）的书法作品；王世民（1592-1680）、肖云从（1596-1673）、王武（1632-1690）的画作，