108 - SABATTIER, Louis, 1863–1935,

SABATTIER, Louis, 1863–1935, Procession of wedding gifts from Aisin Gioro Puyi to his fiancée, 1922, oil on canvas (minor losses), signed lower left, image: 35.5 x 58 cm; frame: 38.8 x 61 cm. Louis Sabattier covered numerous political events around the world for the magazine *L'Illustration*. He undertook an extended journey through China that concluded in 1912, establishing him as the magazine’s expert on that country. Our painting is based on an illustration published in 1923. The scene depicts a moment from the wedding of Puyi, the last Emperor of China, whose life took a dramatic turn after he had already abdicated. Crowned Emperor of China at the age of two, he was forced to abdicate in 1912 and lived confined within the Forbidden City. He aligned himself with the Japanese government in 1925 and was appointed head of Manchuria, which Japan had conquered in 1931. Though he held no real power, he retained this title until 1945. Sensing Japan’s defeat, he attempted to flee but was taken prisoner by the Soviets. He was extradited to Communist China in 1950 at Mao’s request. Puyi escaped execution thanks to his confessions and ended up in a re-education camp until 1959. Taking advantage of an amnesty, he found a job as a gardener at the Beijing Botanical Garden and wrote his memoirs.