Unknown Artist . Ca. 1870 - A Chinese school painting of the Shanghai Bund - image-1

Lot 229 Dα

Unknown Artist . Ca. 1870 - A Chinese school painting of the Shanghai Bund

Auction 1034 - overview Cologne
13.06.2014, 14:00 - Chinese Paintings, Works of Art, Porcelain, Ceramics of Art, Snuff Bottle
Estimate: 3.000 €
Result: 17.080 € (incl. premium)
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A Chinese school painting of the Shanghai Bund

Waterfront with a detailed view showing Western companies, the British and American consulate, the Customs House, the Holy Trinity Church and numerous, British warships and Chinese junks on the Huanpu river. Oil on canvas. Signed A. Holben/Hall? Relined and retouched.
45 x 78,5 cm

Our painting joins the traditional way of depicting the Asian colonial and economic ports. With the increased world trade of the 19th century, these paintings found their way into Asian and European art collections.

The ships on the Huangpu River, the representation of the customs together with the roof of the pagoda in the center, the tower of Holy Trinity Church in the background, as well as the U.S. Consulate at the left edge of the image, allow a precise contextualization of the painting and a dating to the second half of the 19th century.
See Eric Politzer, The Changing Face of the Shanghai Bund, in: Arts of Asia, March-April 2005, pp. 66-70.