Tchien Lung (Qianlong) The Great Emperor, by William Alexander. [Photo provided to China Daily]

They are on show among dozens of British prints exhibited at From Hogarth to Turner, now on at the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology at Peking University. 

The Beijing exhibition introduces major artists from the golden age of British art that began in the 18th century and lasted through the 19th century. During that time, the widely-spread application of printing technology helped transform the country into a "predominant cultural and political center of the Western world", says Donald Stone, 74, who has taught at Peking University's English department since 2006.

Stone is a retired professor from Queens College at the City University of New York. He has been an avid art collector for nearly six decades, with a particular interest in English drawings.

The works on display were largely donated by him to the Sackler museum, and some were bought by him on commission from the museum to enrich its collection.