A Book Seller
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
A Book Seller is a 1790 paint by Puqua, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
A man in blue robes sits behind a table piled with books. Sunlight catches the pages and makes them glow. His shop sits in a narrow street with brick walls on either side. This is one of 100 small paintings made in Canton around 1790. People in Europe wanted to see how Chinese traders worked. The artist used bright colors and sharp lines to show everyday life. Look up Puqua to see more scenes from this set.
A rectangular watercolour painting from 1790 depicts a bookseller in Canton, part of a set of 100 portraying various trades and occupations. The central figure stands behind a table laden with colourful books and pages, illustrating the commercial activity of the period. Produced for European audiences curious about Chinese society, the work was acquired by Parsons & Sons and accessioned in 1898.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
