• Alexander, William

    1767 - 1816

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  • Ashworth, Edward

    1814 - 1896

    The Englishman Edward Ashworth {1814 - 1896} was an architect and surveyor who left London in 1842 on the ship Tuscan. He sailed to Port Philip, Australia and then Auckland, New Zealand. In May 1844 he sailed to Hong Kong on the American Ship, Navigator. He visited Macau on his way to Hong Kong. He lived in Hong Kong in 1844 and 1845. While he lived on the China coast he drew pictures of buildings, architectural details and streets in Canton and Macau. The drawings he made while living in Hong Kong recorded some of the earliest buildings in the new city of Victoria.

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  • Baptista, Marciano Antonio

    1826 - 1896

    The talented artist Marciano Baptista was born in Macau. He was considered Macau's best nineteenth century painter. As a student he attended school at St Joseph's seminary. As a young man he met the English artist, George Chinnery. Legend has it that he followed him around and helped mixing his colours. In the late 1840s he moved to Hong Kong and in 1857 he was living at 2 Oswald's Terrace with his growing family.

    In Hong Kong besides painting he taught art. Some of his paintings were used to illustrate stories in the Illustrated London News. He was also an accomplished photographer.

     

    'The Macanese artist Marciano Baptista was established in Hong Kong by 1857, advertising in "he China Mail" views of Hong Kong, Macao, etc., after the late Mr Chinnery" as well as views of his own.' Martyn Gregory Jubilee Exhibition 1977-2002, Item no.2.

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  • Boncompain, Pierre

     

    In 1988 I had the good fortune to meet the talented French artist, Pierre Boncompain, in Paris. In his studio he showed me colour and form which was both stylish and harmonious, reflecting the countryside and shades of Provence where he was brought up. I thought his work was exceptional and as a result we held three exhibitions of his pictures in our gallery in Hong Kong in the late 1980s and in the 1990s.
     
    Over the years we have followed his progress and visited a number of his exhibitions in France, at Chateau Chenonceau, Valeurise, and Menton. In 2002 he held an exhibition at the Shanghai Museum of Art. We are proud to show our small collection of lithographs from the late eighties and early nineties combined with some of his recent work on paper.
     
    In 2007 we visited Pierre again in his studio in Paris. We were lucky enough to be shown some of his magnificent oil paintings he had recently painted for a patron in the USA.
     
    Jonathan & Vicky Wattis March 2007
     
    References:
    Notes from an exhibition held at Wattis Fine Art in 2007
     

     

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  • Borget, Auguste

    1808 - 1877

    The French artist Auguste Borget was born in Issoudun in France on 28th August 1808.. He studied painting in Paris and became one of the most widely travelled artists of his time.

    In 1836 at the age of 28  he embarked on a voyage around the world. He visited New York  and then he continued his journey to South America where he painted many views of towns, people and the countryside. A number of these were published as lithographs to illustrate his book, Fragments d'un voyage autour du monde in 1845.

    He spent 1838 and 1839 living in Macau and on the China Coast. He painted some of the earliest views of Hong Kong which were later published as lithographs in 1842 in Sketches of China and the Chinese.  There were other views of Macau, Canton and the Pearl River featured in the same book.

    References:

    Hutcheon, Robin  Souvenirs of Auguste Borget      1979
    Auguste Borget  peintre - voyageur autour du monde  1999 Exposition, Musee de L'Hospice Saint -Roch, Issoudun.

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  • Chinnery, George

    1774 - 1852

    The British artist George Chinnery spent nearly twenty seven years living in Macau between 1825 - 1852, recording images of the China coast which became a lasting documentary. He spent his early career in England and Ireland, he then spent twenty-three years in India, before moving to China. Despite the changing fashions of nineteenth century England, Chinnery's art retained the feel of the 1790s, when the rising star was Sir Thomas Lawrence. Also the young J.M.W. Turner was his close contemporary at the Royal Academy Schools. Chinnery became one of the the leading artists of British India in the early 1800s, recognised for his artistic style and for his flamboyant personality. To escape his creditor he sailed in 1825 to the China coast, where he received patronage from the wealthy trading community.

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  • Collison-Morley, Lieut-Colonel Harold Duke

    Harold Duke Collison-Morley studied art at the Slade School of Art in London and also in Paris before joining the army. He lived and worked in Hong Kong in 1909 and 1910. He produced a series of six lithographs of humourous scenes which were published by the South China Morning Post in 1909. These included, On the Peak Road, Shady Chracters, B'long Hongkong Rickshaw, On The Praya, The Happy Valley.

    Lieutenant Colonel Harold Duke Collison-Morley worked in Australia prior to the first world war. He was killed in Flanders at the Battle of Loos in September 1915.He is listed in Guichards book of British Etchers.

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  • Daniell, Thomas

    1749 - 1840

    In 1784, the English artist Thomas Daniell received permission from the East India Company to travel to India "to follow his profession of an engraver." He was accompanied by his nephew, William Daniell, who was also a good painter. They travelled on board the East Indiaman Atlas to China and continued to Bengal in a country vessel, reaching India by early 1786.

    They returned to China in 1793. At this time England was at war with France and so the Daniells joined a convoy of thirteen East Indiamen and three foreign vessels which left Macao in March 1794 with Lord Macartney and the members of his embassy for the return leg of their journey from China.

    Their travels both to and in India and China resulted in some fine paintings which would in turn would be made into beautiful aquatints. A Picturesque Voyage to India by the way of China was published in 1810. It records the journey from England, with scenes taken at Madeira, the Cape of Good Hope, Java, Macao, Canton, the Straits of Malacca, and Calcutta. The work also contains images of Malays and Chinese. As with other works by the Daniells, the book has become rare.
     

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  • Daniell, Thomas & William

    1749 -1840; 1769 - 1837

    In 1784, the English artist Thomas Daniell received permission from the East India Company to travel to India "to follow his profession of an engraver." He was accompanied by his nephew, William Daniell, who was also a good painter. They travelled on board the East Indiaman Atlas to China and continued to Bengal in a country vessel, reaching India by early 1786.

    They returned to China in 1793. At this time England was at war with France and so the Daniells joined a convoy of thirteen East Indiamen and three foreign vessels which left Macao in March 1794 with Lord Macartney and the members of his embassy for the return leg of their journey from China.

    Their travels both to and in India and China resulted in some fine paintings which would in turn would be made into beautiful aquatints. A Picturesque Voyage to India by the way of China was published in 1810. It records the journey from England, with scenes taken at Madeira, the Cape of Good Hope, Java, Macao, Canton, the Straits of Malacca, and Calcutta. The work also contains images of Malays and Chinese. As with other works by the Daniells, the book has become rare.

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  • Daniell, William R.A.

    1769 - 1837

    The English artists, Thomas and William Daniell visited Southern China in 1785 and again in 1793. They visited Canton, Whampoa and Macau and produced a number of paintings in watercolours and oils based on this journey. In 1784, Thomas Daniell received permission from the East India Company to travel to India "to follow his profession of an engraver." He was accompanied by his nephew, William Daniell. They travelled on board the East Indiaman Atlas to China and continued to Bengal in a country vessel, reaching India by early 1786. They returned to China in 1793. At this time England was at war with France and so the Daniells joined a convoy of thirteen East Indiamen and three foreign vessels which left Macao in March 1794 with Lord Macartney and the members of his embassy for the return leg of their journey from China. Their travels both to and in India resulted in some of the finest illustrations to come before the public and their work was - and remains - greatly in demand. A Picturesque Voyage to India by the way of China was published in 1810. It records the journey from England, with scenes taken at Madeira, the Cape of Good Hope. Their travels both to and in India resulted in some of the finest illustrations to come before the public and their work was - and remains - greatly in demand. A Picturesque Voyage to India by the way of China was published in 1810. It records the journey from England, with scenes taken at Madeira, the Cape of Good Hope, Java, Macao, Canton, the Straits of Malacca, and Calcutta. The work also contains images of Malays and Chinese. As with other works by the Daniells, the book has become rare. Thomas Daniell R.A. [1749-1840] William Daniell R.A. [1769 - 1837]

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  • Heine, William

    1827 - 1885

    The German artist William Heine (1827 - 1885) was a student of the Academy of Dresden. From 1848 to 1849 he was a painter of architecture at the Court Theatre in Dresden. From 1853-1855 he joined the North American expedition to Japan which was led by Commodore Perry. He was the artist to the expedition and he produced many drawings which in 1856 would be made into lithographs to illustrate this famous expedition. His views of Canton, Macau, Hong Kong and Japan are most attractive. Later in 1861 Heine became an American Consul in Paris.

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  • Hollar, Wenceslaus

    13th July 1607 - 15th March 1677

    He was born in Prague and spent most of his working life in London. He was buried at St Margaret's Church, Westminster.

     

    Map of Asia at Reiss 4/15

    A New and Exact Map of Asia and the Ilands thereunto belonging". Kupf.-Kte. von (W. Hollar), 1666. Mit ornament. Kart., zahlr. Segelschiffen u. 3 Windrosen. 38:49 cm.
    ()

    Parthey 645a; Hollstein 1996; Quirino, Philippine Cart. S. 109 (Ausg. aus D. Lupton, 1676). - Seltene Karte im 1. Zustand (von 2 lt. H.) mit der Datierung, erschienen bei T. Jenner 1688 zusammen mit Karten von Afrika u. Amerika, dabei nur die vorliegende ohne Hollars Signatur. - Leicht gebräunt, vereinzelt fleckig. Seitl. u. unten alt eingefaltet, mittig geknittert sowie unten mit Löchlein u. kl. Rissen in der Faltung; knapprandig.


    Rare first state published by Jenner with the date, which was erased for the second one, both only known without Hollar's signature, whereas the other 2 maps of this set, Africa and America, are signed. - Uncol. Light browning, spotting in places. Old foldings at sides and bottom. Creasing at centerfold, stronger at bottom with small tears and holes; narrow margined.

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  • Huggins, William

    1781 - 1845

    William John Huggins (1781 - 1845) spent time at sea as a sailor with the East India Company on voyages to the Far East. In 1834 he was appointed marine artist to William IV and painted both battle scenes and ships portraits. Many of his paintings were engraved by his son-in-law, Edward Duncan who also worked on paintings with him. William Huggins (1781-1845) Edward Duncan (1803 - 1882)

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  • Lauvergne, Barthelemy

    1805 - 1871

    Bartholomew Lauvergne born in 1805 in Toulon and died 1871 in Carcès was a French painter of the Navy and a navigator.

    He began drawing at Toulon under the direction of Pierre Letuaire and then starts to travel. He made three trips around the world: first on the Astrolabe of 25 April 1826 in Feb. 24, 1829 when he was secretary of Jules Dumont d'Urville, then La Favorite from 30 December 1830 to 21 April 1832 and finally The Bonite of February 6, 1836 to November 6, 1837. He becomes attached to the scientific commission Island (1838-1839) the Navy station. On 28 August 1839 he joined the Northern Scientific Committee in Hammerfest in Norway; it then passes through Finland, Spitsbergen Island and Russia.

    On 1 February 1841 he was appointed to Paris Depot maps and plans and participates in the publication of a hundred lithographed plates from his drawings. In 1842 he was commissioned to paint some ports of the Algerian coast. He works again the deposit of maps and plans until September 1, 1850. He returned to Toulon then renewed Paris February 9, 1851 the net to put the different views of the coast he realized. He was sent to Toulon to make a painting of the visit of the Prince President, the future Napoleon III Napoleon aboard the ship. He finished his career at Toulon in 1863 and died in 1871 Carcés.

    Wikipedia

     

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  • Leitch, Richard

    Richard Leitch was sent out to Hong Kong and China in 1857as a special artist for the Illustrated London News. He sketched and painted a number of impressive views of Hong Kong for the magazine which were later engraved and published in London. He remained in Hong Kong for over two years before going to Italy in 1859 to cover the Franco-Italian war.

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  • Leitch, Richard Principal

    1826 - 1882

    Richard Principal Leitch (c.1827 - 1882)

     

    Richard P Leitch was the son of the painter and drawing-master, William Leighton Leitch (1804–1883). He was a landscape painter, watercolourist and engraver. He exhibited between 1844 and 1860 at the Royal Academy as R. Leitch Junior, at first from his father's address. His View on the River Limpopo with a Herd of Hippopotami (reproduced in the Illustrated London News of 5 January 1856) was among scenes painted for Gordon Cumming's South African Entertainment at 232 Piccadilly, London, in 1856. He also signed an engraving based on one of Charles Wirgman's watercolour sketches of China in the Illustrated London News (1857–8). In September 1857 he was in Normandy painting watercolours for Queen Victoria. Thereafter, especially when his father was ill, he painted extensively for the queen and gave lessons to her children the styles of father and son are often confused. William Leitch stated that both Richard and a younger son, William, were ‘most graciously set a-going’ by the queen (letter of 28 Nov 1882 private information). Richard Leitch published drawing manuals in the 1870s and early 1880s and worked as an illustrator for journals such as The Quiver and Good Words.

     

    Sarah Colgrave

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    Richard Principal Leitch (Scottish 1827-1882)- Italian mountain lake scene, watercolour, signed and dated lower left 1870, 26 x 44cm Born in Glasgow, Leitch started exhibiting marine subjects at the Royal Academy in 1844. In 1859 he took over his father's role as drawing master to the Queen. He was an active illustrator and his work was often published in the Illustrated London News. Examples of his work can be found in the Royal Collection, British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museu.

     

    Invaluable

     

    ---

    Viaduct on the Madras Railway across the River Poiney, in Arcot

     

    ILN

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  • Menpes, Mortimer

    1855 - 1938

    Mortimer Menpes [1855-1938]was born in Adelaide in South Australia in 1855. He moved to London with his parents and Rosa Grosse who he married. He became an accomplished painter and engraver.

    He shared a studio with James Abbott McNeil Whistler in the 1880s. "I have educated and trained you ... You are but the medium translating the ideas of the Master." Whistler wrote to Menpes. He made two journeys to the Far East. One in 1887 and another in 1896. These etchings of Shanghai were probably exhibited in an exhibition of over 100 of his works at the Dowdeswell Galleries, London in May 1897.

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  • Paris, Admiral Francois-Edmond

    1806 - 1903

    The Frenchman, Francois -Edmund Paris (1806-1903), sailed on the circumnavigations of L' Astrolabe, La Favorite and L'Artemise. He produced superb drawings of ships and boats of different countries of the world. Eventually 132 lithographs were produced to illustrate his "Essai sur la Construction Navale des Peuples Extra-Europeens ou Collection des Navires et Pirogues" which was published in Paris by Arthus Bertrand in 1841.

    Paris was later made an Admiral and in 1871 he became the curator of the Naval Museum at the Louvre.
     

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  • Sing Qua

    fl c. 1860s

    Sing Qua was a Chinese artist working in Shanghai in the 1860s. We have an oil painting of a British clipper ship, London Ann, which was painted in Shanghai. On the reverse is an old label that reads, Sing Qua, ... from Canton, Ship and Portrait Painter, Richmpaper For Sale, Shanghae.

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  • Snow, William

    1834 -1907

    English artist William Roger Snow was born in London, on March 6, 1834. He attended Cambridge University in 1854 He reputedly squandered his inheritance and in 1855 at the age of twenty-one he joined the army. Over the next twenty years he would visit in  a number of countries including the Crimea and Hong Kong.

    William Snow visited Hong Kong in 1858. Influenced by his stay in Hong Kong he published his first work, Sketches of Chinese Life & Character in 1860. He also exhibited paintings during the 1860s in London. He would later become quite a recognised painter but often using an alias.

     

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  • Tingqua

    c.1809 – 1870

    The Chinese artist Tinqua flourished in the mid nineteenth century. He produced gouache  and watercolour paintings of a high quality for the export trade. He set up a studio at No. 16, China Street, Canton. As paintings exist of the interior of his studio we can see that there were a number of skilled artists employed there as assistants. It is possible that Tinqua was the brother of Lamqua who was himself a talented nineteenth century artist who worked in Canton, Macau and Hong Kong. He may also have been the son of Spoilum who was a portrait artist working at the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century in Canton.

    The paintings were made in bright colours and the quality of the detail was often exquisite. These paintings were often highlighted by pale blue or yellow silk borders that were applied to the pith paper.

    References:

    Tingqua’s China    Martyn Gregory   1986
    The China Trade 1600 – 1860   Patrick Conner 1986
    Historical Pictures, Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art 1991
    The Decorative Arts of the China Trade 1991

     

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