FINE CHINA TRADE PAITNINGS FROM MARTYN GREGORY, LONDON, PART II
GEORGE CHINNERY (1774-1852)
Portrait of the Hong Merchant Mowqua Oil on canvas, en grisaille, in a Chinese export carved frame. 24.1cm (9 1/2in) high x 20.3cm (8in) wide.
George Chinnery（1774-1852） 行商盧文錦肖像 布面油畫 有框
Provenance: Martyn Gregory, London An American private collection Martyn Gregory, London
Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: P.Conner, George Chinnery: 1774-1852, Artist of India and the China Coast, London, 1993, p.173, pl.55 (published and illustrated) P.Conner, The Flamboyant Mr. Chinnery: An English Artist in India and China, London, 2011, p.49, pl.46 (published and illustrated) Martyn Gregory, George Chinnery: the legendary artist of the China Coast, and his followers, catalogue 84, London, 2009/2010, pp.22-23, no.22 Martyn Gregory, Merchant's and Mariners: Historical pictures by Chinese and Western artists 1750-1970, catalogue 98, London, 2018/2019, pp.24-25, no.21
來源：倫敦古董商Martyn Gregory 美國私人收藏 倫敦古董商Martyn Gregory
展覽著錄：P.Conner，《George Chinnery: 1774-1852, Artist of India and the China Coast》，倫敦，1993年，第173頁，圖版55（著錄） P.Conner，《The Flamboyant Mr. Chinnery: An English Artist in India and China》，倫敦，2011年，第49頁，圖版46（著錄） Martyn Gregory，《George Chinnery: the legendary artist of the China Coast, and his followers, catalogue 84》，倫敦， 2009/2010，第22-23頁，編號22 Martyn Gregory，《Merchant's and Mariners: Historical pictures by Chinese and Western artists 1750-1970, catalogue 98》，倫敦，2018/2019，第24-25頁，編號21
Despite his celebrated status, Chinnery only produced two full length portraits of named Hong merchants, Howqua and Mowqua, both in the HSBC collection, making the present lot exceptionally rare. This monochrome oil study was evidently made in preparation for Chinnery's celebrated portrait of Mowqua now in the HSBC collection, Hong Kong, which preserves the balance of tones established in the present picture. In fact the finished painting follows this study closely, details and colours are added throughout, the merchant's rank badge appears, his robes acquires more folds and his left hand clenches more tightly, but there are no major changes of composition.
From his father's death in 1813 until the mid-1830s Lu Wenjin, known to Western merchants as Mowqua (or Mowqua II), was one of the two leading hong merchants who conducted trade with the Westerns in Canton; they were also held responsible by the Cantonese authorities for the misdeeds of the Western merchants. An amiable figure, Mowqua was sometimes reckless in his borrowings and experienced financial difficulties.
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