Page 49 - Made For Trade Chinese Export Paintings In Dutch Collections

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Figs. 2.5. Production of
tea (from set of 4),
anonymous, gouache
on paper, 1800-1825,
31.3 x 25 cm,
Rijksmuseum
for a long time. Considering transfer, terms or in the use of colours. I will elaborate on
Amsterdam,
transformation, invention, innovation, this painting series and its successors in Chapter 4.
inv.no. NG 1981-12-D.
appropriation, and delegation as legitimate In some cases, a museum owns several oil
techniques used by modern painters and other paintings with the same subject matter, but
Fig. 2.6. Production of
artists around the world, these production executed in different media, either as a reverse
tea (from set of 32),
methods were already applicable to and glass painting or on canvas. (Figures 2.9. and
signed, watercolour on
deliberately and actively used by Cantonese 2.10.) These examples support the notion that
paper, 19th century,
painters at the time of the historical China trade. the productions originating from the Chinese
31 x 30 cm, Maritime
Another example of the existence of a well- image world in the historical China trade were
Museum Rotterdam,
organised production system with active artists, highly organised in terms of the selection of
inv.no. P4423.
whose agency is to make aesthetically and subjects to paint for a Western clientele. At that
economically alluring images, is a series of time, the subject of an Imperial audience was
Fig. 2.7. Production of
watercolours and gouaches with images sufficiently popular to be executed in a range of
porcelain (from set of
portraying the different steps in the tea, media in order to serve a broad audience. This
28), anonymous,
porcelain and silk production process. (Figures uniformity of subject selection suggests that
gouaches on paper,
2.5. to 2.8.) Although the images differ in terms production was centralised, rather than
19th century,
of execution, these visually strong and colourful individual; but, when we take a closer look, the
30 x 28 cm, Ceramics
images all exude the same peaceful atmosphere. self-supporting and independent painter shows
Museum Princessehof,
We see women and men at work and children himself loud and clear. He conforms to the
inv.no. NO 5506.
playing in clean (idealistic) surroundings and in system in order to meet the demands of the
similar looking buildings. These images, a series customers, and by painting a popular topic he
Fig. 2.8. Production of
of paintings with representations of the can make good money, but he is also able to
silk (from album with
manufacturing trajectory of the main Chinese bring his own interpretation to the work. What
24 images), anonymous,
trade goods, are greatly inspired by earlier we do not know is whether the nineteenth-
watercolour on paper,
examples, once produced for successive Qing century export painter worked in his own home
19th century,
emperors like Kangxi (1622-1722) and Qianlong to provide Cantonese art shops and studio’s with
25 x 24 cm,
(1736-1795). But, on closer examination, we his handmade paintings, as is often the
Tropenmuseum/ 42
discover significant differences in the details of contemporary practice in Dafen.
Nationaal Museum van
these paintings, which demonstrates that, A second level of economic organisation
Wereldculturen,
notwithstanding the strictly organised painting involves the circulation of goods. At this level,
inv.no. TM-3728-495.
system, painters were always looking to add the technological innovation of the production
their own ‘signature’, either in compositional of oil paintings combined with other, Western
---
42 Wong 2013.
43 Poole 1997, 10.
44 Roberts 2010, 1. Allen F. Roberts is Professor of Culture and Performance at the UCLA Department of World
Arts and Cultures and an editor of African Arts.
45 Roberts 2010, 1.
46 Dean & Leibsohn 2003, 5.