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A Fort on the Canton River, 1st China War, 1840 circa (oil on board)
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A Fort on the Canton River, 1st China War, 1840 circa (oil on board)
5920276 A Fort on the Canton River, 1st China War, 1840 circa (oil on board) by Unknown Artist, (19th century); National Army Museum, London; (add.info.: A Fort on the Canton River, 1st China War, 1840 circa.
Oil on board, Chinese School, 1840 circa.
With the growth of trade between Europe and China from the mid-nineteenth century, Western merchants began to commission souvenirs such as local scenes and portraits to take home. This demand was met by a number of Chinese trade artists painting in a Western style. Unfortunately, most of these artists did not sign their works, so identification of individual oeuvres is impossible. Some Chinese export paintings were produced from stock designs painted on an assembly line basis. Many of the compositions were copied directly from European prints. Some were after drawings by Western artists such as William Alexander (1767-1816), official draughtsman to George, Earl MacartneyAs embassy of 1792-1794, and George Chinnery (1774-1852) who lived in China from 1825 until his death. Chinese artists used prints as sources from which to master unfamiliar Western conventions for picture construction, such as the use of fixed-point perspective and shading.
This painting is typical of the river and marine scenes produced for the export market, with vast expanses of simply rendered water and sky, often with local shipping shown in the background. The Canton (now Zhu Jiang) River in particular, captured the imagination of European visitors, and many such paintings survive. One European, fascinated by what he encountered, was the artist Auguste Borget, who visited the China coast from 1838 to 1839, recording, A the country is really unlike every other, I found in the landscape an air of strangeness which charmed meA.); eNational Army Museum; out of copyright
Media ID 22567964
© National Army Museum / Bridgeman Images
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This print titled "A Fort on the Canton River, 1st China War, 1840 circa" takes us back to a significant period in history. Painted by an unknown artist from the Chinese School in the mid-19th century, this oil on board artwork showcases the growing trade between Europe and China during that time. As Western merchants began to engage in trade with China, they sought souvenirs to bring back home. This demand led to the emergence of Chinese trade artists who painted scenes and portraits in a Western style. Unfortunately, due to their anonymity, it is impossible to identify individual works by these talented artists. Many of these paintings were produced using stock designs or copied directly from European prints. The composition of this particular painting draws inspiration from European artists such as William Alexander and George Chinnery. Chinese artists used prints as references to master unfamiliar Western techniques like fixed-point perspective and shading. The artwork depicts a typical river and marine scene created for the export market. It features vast expanses of water and sky with local shipping visible in the background. The Canton River (now known as Zhu Jiang) held great fascination for European visitors at that time, leading many similar paintings capturing its beauty. One such visitor was Auguste Borget, an artist who visited the China coast from 1838 to 1839. He described his experience saying, "the country is really unlike every other. . . I found in the landscape an air of strangeness which charmed me". This sentiment echoes through this remarkable piece of art captured beautifully by Bridgeman Images' photography expertise.
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