A Cooper
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
A Cooper is a 1790 paint by Puqua, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a person kneeling on a mat, working with curved wooden hoops and strips of wood. They’re shaping a barrel-like container, using tools like a hammer and chisel. Nearby, a half-finished hoop leans against a small wooden frame, and a black pot sits on the ground. The person’s focused posture suggests careful craftsmanship, and the scattered tools hint at a methodical process. The scene feels quiet and precise, like a snapshot of daily work. Look up Puqua next to see more of this artist’s detailed, everyday scenes.
A rectangular watercolour by Puqua from 1790 depicts a cooper seated among an array of tools, with long strings extending outward. The work is part of a set of 100 paintings illustrating various trades and occupations in Canton. It was acquired from Parsons & Sons and entered the collection in 1898, as recorded in the Asia Department registers during a 2022 provenance research project.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
