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The Sketches from Life is replete with numerous seal impressions from Ming and Qing dynasty personages, and even bears a poetic inscription written by Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799). These additions, which reflect the album’s history of being collected and appraised, include collectors’ seals belonging to Li Zhaoheng (ca. 1591-after 1664) and Zhu Zhichi (ca. 1619-after 1688) of the Ming dynasty, as well as Gao Shiqi (1645-1703), An Qi (ca. 1683-after 1745), and Yun Shouping (1633-1690) of the Qing dynasty, not to mention the seals of the dynasty’s emperors and palace art collections. The end of this album also features a colophon written by Gao Shiqi in 1694, in which he describes the route the work took on its way into his collection.
