Page 120 - Made For Trade Chinese Export Paintings In Dutch Collections

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practice in relation to this painting genre at that
time. I am convinced that the value of these
artworks as a coherent set, their appropriate
conservation, and the financial support of Akzo
Nobel Coatings, helped enormously in
convincing everyone to exhibit them.
The second and third noteworthy sets in this
Leiden collection consist of ten rare oil paintings
with winter views of Tartary and three early
(1773) harbour views of Macao, Whampoa and
Canton, which are currently on loan to the
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. Both sets will be
thoroughly examined in, respectively, Chapter 6
and Chapter 5.4. 21
Furthermore, this section about sets of oil
paintings must make mention of two large and
comparable sets with ten and twelve images of
harbour and river scenes in the collection of the
ethnographical Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam
and two other, almost identical sets of four
harbour views in the National Maritime
Museum in Amsterdam. These sets – both can be
dated in the first quarter of the nineteenth
century – with their matching subject matter and
historical documentary nature, present a
meaningful narrative that is significant for
determining their use value. Their formal
qualities – they all carry inscriptions, are of the
same size, and are rendered in the same painting
style – also increase their artistic value. The two
sets belonging to the Tropenmuseum depict
places such as Canton, Macao, the Cape of the way of China, published in 1810, consisting Fig. 4.4. Scene on
Good Hope, the Dutch residence at Anjere Point of 50 hand-coloured aquatints, drawn and Canton river,
on Java, a view of the Hoogly River and other engraved by Thomas and William Daniell. The inscription recto:
sights on the sailing route from the Netherlands, series is based on sketches made during the pair’s Scene on the Canton
via the East Indies, to Canton. One set is painted travels between 1785 and 1794 and are currently river (from set of 10),
on wooden panels and the other on canvas. kept in the British Museum and National anonymous, oil on
Figures 4.4. and 4.5. show one example from Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London. 23 wooden panel, 19th
each set. 22 All the paintings are in good It is certainly imaginable that prints from these century, 13.5 x 19.5 cm,
condition. In 1948 and in 1952, a year after the engravings ended up in Cantonese painting Tropenmuseum/
series were added, separately, to the Amsterdam studios and that their painters were inspired Nationaal Museum van
collection (1947 and 1950), they were by the popularity of these striking examples. Wereldculturen,
beautifully restored. The value of the sets was The two sets from the National Maritime inv.no. TM-1754-2.
estimated and they were safeguarded for the Museum in Amsterdam, on the other hand,
future. They can be considered as commodities each comprise four harbour views – the famous Fig. 4.5. View of Macao,
made specifically for exchange and export to ensemble of Macao, Bocca Tigris, Whampoa and inscription verso:
Western customers. Some of these narrative Canton (we will return to this later). One set Macao. China (from set
images can be compared with (or maybe inspired features paintings in oil on bone (c. 1810) and of 12), anonymous, oil
by) the series A picturesque voyage to India by the second set are oils on copper (c. 1790). 24 on canvas, 19th century,
13.5 x 19.5 cm,
--- Tropenmuseum/
21 Inv.nos. 360-349a to 349g, 360-1133, 360-1134, and 360-1138. The missing painting with inv.no. 360-1141 might Nationaal Museum van
also have belonged to this set. Wereldculturen,
22 Inv.nos. 1754-2 to 1754-11 (on wooden panels with a black wooden frame with gilded inner edge), and 2034-1 to inv.no. TM-2034-7.
2034-12 (on canvas behind glass with a black wooden frame with gilded inner edge).
23 British Museum, inv.no. 1981.U.468.
24 Inv.nos. A.2068(06)a to (06)d on bone with extravagantly carved wooden gold-coloured frame, and A.3229(01)
to (04) on copper with black, flat wooden frame with golden edge featuring a dots and floral design.