Page 193 - important chinese art mar 22 2018

640

A VIEW OF THE HONGS AT The rapid pace of development along the Canton A painting nearly identical to the present in the
CANTON waterfront signals the city’s economic and Sze Yuan Tang Collection is illustrated in Patrick
cultural signi$ cance to the Western communities Conner, Paintings of the China trade, The Sze
QING DYNASTY, CIRCA 1820
residing there. Its changing outline was well Yuan Tang Collection of Historic Paintings, Hong
oil on canvas, depicting a panorama of the chronicled and captured by both Western and Kong Maritime Museum, Hong Kong, 2013, pl. 2,
waterfront at Canton, with the European-style Chinese artists. This wealth of documentation and again in op.cit. pl. 2.42. Two closely related
factories of the Spanish, American, British and provides the means to place the present painting views were sold in these rooms, the $ rst of the
Dutch, each ! ying their respective ! ags, the within a speci$ c time frame. The painting depicts same hongs but a slightly earlier view, 22nd
foreground with sampans, junks, ski* s and a features that place it after 1815 when the powerful January 2016, lot 1153 and the second painting
small white sailing boat ! ying the Union Jack, all East India Trade Company paid to update their of the same view as the present example but
moored in the placid waters of the Pearl River, facades as seen in the columned balcony, large painted on copper from from the Elinor Gordon
gilt-wood frame windows along the upper story and pediment Collection, 23rd January 2010, lot 54.
Height 18 in., 45.7 cm; Width 23 in., 58.4 cm roof but before the devastation of the ‘Great Fire’ 18 x 23 ½ inches
of 1822. Winds carried the ! ames from a small
PROVENANCE bakery a mile and half away and within $ 30,000-50,000
Berry Hill Galleries, New York (stamped on 36 hours had left the waterfront in ruins. For ૶ ߒ1820ϋ ᄿ؇ݱБჃ౻ ذ੹ ༀ࣪
frame). further reading on this topic see Patrick Conner,
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, and The Hongs of Canton, London, 2009, p. 73 and Ը๕
pp 89-103.
thence by descent. Berry Hill Galleriesdॲߒ€Ιᜀ
Paul Mellon ͸ᙨϗᔛdϤܝ࢕ૄෂו

PROPERTY FROM THE MELLON FAMILY COLLECTION 191