View of the Hongs at Canton Painting | Oil on Canvas

View of the Hongs at Canton Painting, Qing Dynasty, Daoguang / Xianfeng Period.
Oil on Canvas, Framed
China, Circa 1850
Provenance: Private Spanish collection

Relined, Restorations
Frame Height : 53 cms (21 ins)
Frame Width: 84 cms (33 ins)
Canvas Height: 42 cms (16.5 ins)
Canvas Width : 73 cms (28.7 ins)

This oil on canvas painting, dating to circa 1850 during the Qing Dynasty’s Daoguang/Xianfeng period, offers a historical View of the Hongs at Canton. It portrays the bustling Pearl River with Chinese junks and vessels, against the backdrop of the American, French, British, and Danish factories, all located near the Protestant church on the waterfront. This artwork encapsulates a moment of Western trade prosperity in Canton, before the city’s pivotal changes. Encased in a black parcel-gilt-wood frame, the painting serves as a rich document of cross-cultural exchange and architectural evolution, reflecting the European influence on the Cantonese trade.