Houses of Mr. Whiteman ("the forty-pillared house") and Captain Elliott, and Monte Fort, Macao

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Dominant colour

Houses of Mr. Whiteman ("the forty-pillared house") and Captain Elliott, and Monte Fort, Macao is a 1 by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This drawing shows two houses and a fort in Macao. The houses belong to Mr. Whiteman and Captain Elliott. What's interesting is that the artist, Harriet Daniell, was copying the style of another artist. She was a wife of a merchant and learned to sketch like others in Macau. You can learn more about this style by looking into the technique of cross-hatching.

The story of this work

Overview

The drawing depicts the houses of Mr. Whiteman, known as the forty-pillared house, and Captain Elliott, alongside Monte Fort in Macao. Created by Harriet Daniell, wife of British merchant James Anthony Daniell, the work reflects the sketching practices of Western residents in Macao, influenced by George Chinnery’s style. It is part of a volume containing 130 drawings made in Macao, Guangzhou, and surrounding areas. The drawing was later bequeathed in 1928 by James Orange as part of an album of 93 works attributed to Chinnery.

Read the full account in the museum source.