A Knife Sharpener
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
A Knife Sharpener is a 1790 paint by Puqua, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
You see a man hunched over his stone wheel. A blade rests on his lap. His sleeves are rolled up. A single lantern lights his work. This painting comes from a set of 100 scenes of daily life in Canton. Europeans bought these to learn about China. The artist shows a quiet moment, not drama. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.
A rectangular watercolour painting from 1790 depicts a knife sharpener in Canton, part of a set of 100 images illustrating various trades and occupations. The central figure, dressed in blue, straddles a wooden bench while using a metal tool to sharpen a blade. Produced for European audiences curious about Chinese society, the work was acquired by the institution in 1898 from Parsons & Sons.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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