"This meticulously researched and fascinating history of Bertin's 'insatiable appetite for knowledge of China' is the first monograph devoted to Bertin's collecting, correspondence and other projects." --The Art Newspaper "Finlay's timely and commendable book establishes an essential framework by which to further reflect upon . important issues raised by Bertin's exchanges between France and China in the eighteenth century." --The Burlington Magazine "Well-structured and sharply argued, Finlay's penetrating book greatly deepends our understanding of the 18th-century Sino-European exchanges, including the Jesuit agency, interpersonal networks, and intricate relations between Chinese sources and European reproductions." --Orientations "Finlay's book is one of those fine books that provide a reader with new insights and at the same time leave room for further questions to be pursued." --Journal of Asian History "This book brings together . years of careful and thoughtful research in an elegant and well-written account of a cultural exchange which is rich and varied." --East Asian Science, Technology, and Medicine "John Finlay has produced a book whose breadth and scope of subject matter is impressive.

It successfully establishes a history of artistic exchange between France and China in the modern era." --China Art Research Network (CARN) Newsletter.