Transport of Porcelain by River
1780
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1780
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Transport of Porcelain by River is a 1780 paint by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
The painting shows people transporting porcelain by river, with boats and workers in the scene. This painting is part of a set that shows how porcelain was made in China. It was made for Europeans who wanted to learn about Chinese porcelain. To learn more about how light and dark are used in paintings like this, look up the technique: chiaroscuro.
A rectangular watercolor painting in muted tones depicts three wooden boats transporting porcelain down a river, part of a set of 24 illustrating stages of the Chinese pottery industry. Created around 1780, the work reflects European interest in understanding Chinese porcelain production methods before the material could be replicated in Europe. The painting was acquired in 1910 from Gordon M. Forsyth and is recorded as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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