A Chinese Hand Scroll Painting By Fan Kuan 212 x 34cm.

Johann Wilhelm Normann Munthe (1864-1935), military officer and art collector.

Munthe was born in Bergen, Norway, in July 1864. After receiving military education at the Cavalry Cadet School (Kavaleriets underoffiserskole), he came to China in 1887 and served in the Chinese Customs. He later held various positions, including commander and chief of staff in Yuan Shikai's cavalry. He lived in China for over 50 years and collected more than 2,500 Chinese cultural relics, many of which were scattered remnants from the Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace) that were in private hands. His collection included stone carvings, jade artifacts, bronze objects, ceramics, paintings, silk embroidery, and the most extraordinary pieces were the stone carvings from the Yuanmingyuan.

Munthe was a passionate collector of Chinese art. His collection comprised porcelain, paintings, costumes, bronze sculptures, and marble statues. On multiple occasions, Munthe entrusted a significant number of porcelain and paintings to British & Foreign Marine Ins, Co., Ltd for transportation to his hometown in Norway, where they were handed over to his family. Some of Munthe's family members donated a portion of the collection to museums, while the remaining substantial collection was preserved.

The Vestlandske Kunstindustrimuseum in Bergen, Norway, and The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon both have a large number of artworks donated by General Munthe.

Munthe passed away in Beijing in 1935 and was buried in the British Municipal Cemetery in Tianjin.