User:RayNorris/China trade painting

China trade painting China Trade paintings were painted by local Chinese artists for sale to the tourist market in Chinese ports, especially Shanghai, Macao, and Canton, from about 1800 to 1860. They range from crudely executed sketches to elaborate artworks of exquisite beauty and detail. Amongst the best are were painted by the master painter [Tingqua] and his school, while equally beautiful pieces can be found from unknown artists. Subject matter, includes ships, landscapes, birds, flowers, fruit, and scenes from everyday life. The latter provide some startling insights into the day-to-day life of 19th century China, and include gruesome depictions of trials and torture.

The earliest examples date from the late 18th century, painted by  Chinese artists who  learned the western style of painting either from western artists residing in Chinese ports, or simply by copying existing art works.

The maritime paintings were often constructed from canvases pre-painted with backgrounds featuring Chinese harbours or the open ocean. The artist would then visit newly-arrived ships and promise to return in a day or two with a finished canvas showing the ship. Only the ship itself would then need to be painted on to the pre-prepared background, and the resulting product was often masterful, showing the ship's rigging and details with painstaking accuracy.