Art Gallery of Old Ship Portraits and Marine Paintings
 



China Trade Painting

Ship Portrait of the British (or Canadian) barque *Crayfish* in the Chinese Sea, ca. 1868 - the barque is shown at sea near an Island and with a junk and paddle steamer in the far distance - Oil on canvas on original China Trade stretcher, 46 by 60 cm (18 by 23 5/8 inch), with frame 56 x 69 cm (22 by 27 inch) - inscribed on the bow with the ship`s name - light usual China Trade crackle (in the sea and hull), cleaned, only few areas with inpaint, good condition - Private Collection Indianapolis, USA

Note: Nam Cheong worked in Whampoa, Hong Kong and rarely signed his works. This painting can be attributed to him or to a member of his workshop. It is executed on the typical thin canvas and in nearly original condition and without extensive crackle. It was previously framed and preserved under glass.
Nam Cheong or Workshop
(Chinese, fl. 1845-1870)
* Photo Copyright *

Presented by the FineArtEmporium in Hamburg.

Oilpainting
Nam Cheong or Workshop (fl. 1845-70) - Portrait of the barque "Crayfish" in the Chinese Sea - Go back to the Gallery - Photo Copyright



Following is shown a photo of the painting without the frame:

*

and a detail photo:

This China trade painting also shows a (somewhat romantic) warm color sky on the left side which can only rarely be found with painting from this genre. The Island and the paddle steamer in the background adds a special appeal to this work . The men on board and the details of the vessel are painted with great deail. On the last mast the signal flags are set, it seems that the ship is preparing to enter a harbor.

For collectors who are not so familiar with such paintings, please note that due to the paint / colors used in 19th C. China nearly ALL of these paintings have crackle. This is a typical feature of these works. This painting has some crackle in the water and hull section, but NO real extensive or disturbing crackle - which is an advantage of this painting compared with other ship portraits from this area.