Artwork
Boatmen hauling their boats, and a boatwoman and child
Boatmen hauling their boats, and a boatwoman and child is a drawing by the Romanticist artist George Chinnery. It dates from 1 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work is a drawing that portrays several figures engaged in the physical task of pulling a boat onto a shoreline, alongside a separate depiction of a woman carrying a child on her back as she navigates a boat.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures everyday labor in a coastal setting, emphasizing the collective effort required to move a vessel and the presence of familial responsibility, as shown by the mother‑child pair.
Technique & Style
Rendered in sketch form, the drawing relies on line work to delineate the bodies and the boat, suggesting motion and strain through gestural strokes rather than detailed modeling.
Context
The scene reflects traditional Chinese maritime life, where small boats were commonly beached and families participated in the loading and unloading of vessels.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
George Chinnery (Chinese: 錢納利; 5 January 1774 – 30 May 1852) was an English painter who spent most of his life in Asia, especially India and southern China.
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Two sketches of groups of Chinese figures![Sheet of Studies [recto and verso], by John Flaxman](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-flaxman--sheet-of-studies-recto-and-verso--7cd3e8a27787ed92-w320.webp)
Sheet of Studies [recto and verso]