Making the Scale
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Making the Scale is a 1790 paint by Puqua, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting, titled "Making the Scale," depicts a man engaged in the process of creating a scale. He is seated on a stool, facing a wooden cabinet with a hinged lid, and is holding a tool in his right hand. The man is dressed in a white shirt and blue pants. To the right of the man, a basket contains several long, thin objects, possibly the components of the scale he is constructing. The background of the painting is a plain white wall. The artist, Puqua, was a Chinese painter who worked in Guangzhou during the late 18th century. The painting is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The painting *Making the Scale* by Puqua, dated 1790, depicts a central figure seated at a workbench surrounded by tools in a basket. It is one of a set of 100 works illustrating various Chinese trades and occupations in Canton. Acquired in 1898 from Parsons & Sons, the piece reflects European interest in Chinese society during the period. The series was likely produced to meet demand from Western audiences seeking visual documentation of Chinese craftsmanship and daily life.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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