Man Singing Dragon Boat Songs
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Man Singing Dragon Boat Songs is a 1790 paint by Puqua, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a man singing with open mouth, hands raised, beside a dragon boat. He wears loose robes and a headband. The background is plain pale green. It’s one of 100 small trade scenes from Canton. Europeans bought these to learn about daily life in China. The singer’s open throat feels lively and real. See the real thing at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A rectangular watercolor painting from 1790 depicts a man singing dragon boat songs, part of a set of 100 portraying trades and occupations in Canton. The central figure wears a drum and carries an intricately carved, red dragon-shaped boat at the end of a long pole. These works were created for European audiences interested in Chinese culture and society. Acquired from Parsons & Sons, the painting was accessioned in 1898.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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