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Hong Kong Harbour

Unknown

1850

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century Marine

Dominant colour

Hong Kong Harbour is a 1850 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1850 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a quiet harbor scene with rolling hills in the background. The water is calm, dotted with a few small boats and ships near the shore. On the left side, a rocky beach has a few people walking, and buildings cluster along the water’s edge. The artist used soft, muted colors to show light and shadow across the landscape. The hills fade into the distance, giving a sense of depth. Look up *chiaroscuro* to see how artists use light and dark to create depth.

The story of this work

Overview

A rectangular watercolor painting from 1850 depicts a British fleet anchored in Hong Kong Harbour, positioned between Hong Kong Island on the left and the Kowloon peninsula, which is not visible in the composition. The work was acquired from C. Reya and added to the collection in 1900, as recorded in the Asia Department registers during a 2022 provenance research project.

Read the full account in the museum source.