Born in England in the mid-eighteenth century, William Alexander was chosen to accompany Lord Macartney in 1796 on his embassadorship to Pekin. Despite the numerous efforts of several nations, China had remained closed to foreigners for centuries. In the late eighteenth century the English, in an ongoing attempt to expand their ever growing empire, sent the eminent Lord Macartney to open relations with China. Alexander, who had been selected to document the expedition, was a careful observer and excellent draughtsman. Most of his engravings are genre scenes detailing the landscape, architecture, the people and their customs with only incidental observations about birds and flowers. Macartney was successful in that he was allowed to actually meet with Emperor Kien Lung in his palace at Jehol but unsuccessful in that no accord was reached and China remained closed to Europeans.
