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A VIEW OF TWO HOUSES ON THE The present painting bears the studio label ɤɘ˰ߏʕಂ մկ܃ ɪऎ̮ᛉ౻ ذ
BUND, SHANGHAI on the back which gives both the westernized Ը๕
name Chow Kwa as well as the Chinese name
STUDIO OF CHOW KWA, QING Su Zhaocheng to identify the artist. Chow Child’s Gallerydتɻ࣪
DYNASTY, MID-19TH CENTURY Kwa’s re$ ned painting style, technical ability Paul Mellon ᙨϗᔛdϤܝૄෂו
and panoramic compositions earned him both
oil on canvas, a $ nely detailed and spacious
high regard and success among collectors of
rendering of two European trading houses,
the genre. The artist’s skillful handling of light,
separated by a large expanse of lush green
particularly as it interacts with clouds and water,
lawn dotted with a pair of grazing sheep, an
is one of many traits that distinguish his work.
ornamental water fountain, and a trellised
gazebo, with further houses in the background, A closely related painting of a house on the Bund
the foreground with two porters strolling along ascribed to Chow Kwa is illustrated in Patrick
walled and gated road, gilt-wood frame, Chow Conner, Paintings of the China Trade, The Sze
Kwa (! . 1850-1880) studio label on the back of Yuan Tang Collection of Historic Paintings, Hong
the frame Kong Maritime Museum, Hong Kong, 2013, pl. 39.
Height 20¼ in., 51.4 cm; Width 32 in., 81.3 cm A panoramic view of the Bund of larger dimension
from the Albright Knox Collection was sold in
PROVENANCE
these rooms, 19th March 2007, lot 365.
Child’s Gallery, Boston (inscribed on frame).
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, and $ 60,000-80,000
thence by descent.
PROPERTY FROM THE MELLON FAMILY COLLECTION 189
