Page 110 - Christie's London China Trade Paintings Kelton Collection

*86
THOMAS ALLOM (1804-1872)
Costumes of China from native drawings – an album of twenty-fve drawings
titled on the upper cover, the drawings variously inscribed with titles and colour notes
pencil on paper, the drawings mounted on the recto and verso of thirteen album leaves, one leaf detached
the album 21 x 13Ωin. (53.4 x 34.2cm.)
£6,000-10,000 US$7,400-12,000
€6,800-11,000
The War with China is one of the most important events of the present time, and a work which will aford to the reader a knowledge of
the history of that country and of the manners and habits of its extraordinary people, cannot fail to be acceptable to the British people.
... Having dwelt “in the land of the cypress and myrtle”, Mr Allom’s talents were fully matured for the faithful delineation of Oriental
scenery; and, in many instances, he has so successfully pictured forth the subject to be illustrated, as to secure a signal triumph for the
pencil over the pen.
Preface, China Illustrated
An architect by training, Allom is remembered for his profuse topographical drawings of Chinese subjects which were engraved
for his China Illustrated, the frst engravings published in 1843, a year after the end of the Opium War. The title page of the book
indicates that Allom’s drawings were based on the work of other artists: ‘China, in a series of views ... drawn, from original and
authentic sketches, by Thomas Allom, Esq. ...’, and the present ‘Costumes of China from native drawings’ sees him copying from
such ‘original and authentic sketches’, here from an early 19th-century Cantonese export artist’s album of Chinese tradespeople. He
would also copy the work of Western artists who had travelled to China, such as William Alexander and Lieutenant Frederick White,
RM, eye-witnesses to Macartney’s Embassy and the Opium Wars respectively. Allom’s studio sale was held at Christie’s after his
death (‘Remaining works of Thomas Allom’, Christie’s, 14 March 1873) and large quantities of his drawings were dispersed in two
sales at Christie’s South Kensington (‘Watercolours and drawings by Thomas Allom’, 28 Nov. 1983 and 18 Nov 1985).

‘It is upon about 1500 designs for albums of topographical steel-engravings that his more prominent and lasting reputation rests.
This work, initially undertaken to support himself as a student, became his principal occupation between 1828 and 1845, and during
these years he made extensive sketching tours in England, Scotland, France, Belgium, and Turkey, mainly for the publisher H. Fisher
& Son. His China: in a series of views, displaying the scenery, architecture and social habits of that ancient empire (4 vols., 1843), with
a letterpress by G.N. Wright, was the best-known nineteenth-century work on the subject, although he never visited the country
and based his illustrations on the work of other artists.’ (DNB).

108 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty
fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.