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Three Chinese figures with a small boat

Unknown

1850

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Three Chinese figures with a small boat is a 1850 by Unknown, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

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

About this work

This drawing shows three Chinese figures near a small boat. One sits in shallow water, another stands by the boat, and a third waits nearby. A few details suggest the scene is copied from another artist’s work. The lines are light and careful, typical of how artists copied others’ drawings back then. You can see how the artist kept the proportions loose. That was common when copying—not meant to be exact. Check out more drawings at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

A drawing from 1850, likely adapted from an original by George Chinnery, depicts two figures in a small boat navigating shallow water while a third stands nearby on land. The work is part of a volume containing 130 drawings made in Macau, Guangzhou, and surrounding areas. The album was bequeathed in 1928 by James Orange, originally containing 93 drawings attributed to Chinnery, who spent his later years in Macau after establishing himself as a prominent artist in British India.

Read the full account in the museum source.