Page 178

No. 26 FORT ON THE CANTON RIVER 1832

A sketch of a fort on the Canton River, probably French Folly Fort. A characteristic pen and ink sketch by George Chinnery, initially and dated top corner with shorthand note.  Photograph, full size, 6 ¾ x 91/2, of the original pen and ink drawing in the British Museum by George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852).

Page 253

No.14 FACTORIES FROM THE RIVER c. 1833

The view of the Factories at Canton from the river, which is crowed with junks and sampans, showing l. to r. American, British and Dutch flags in front of the respective factories.  Companion picture to No. 15. Oil. 11 x 17 ¾ George Chinnery R.H.A. (1774-1852).

Page 253

No. 15 FACTORIES FROM LAND c. 1833

View, from land, of the open space in front of the French, American and other factories, many Chinese figures are shown – pedlars, barbers, etc., no Europeans; and an official procession is to be seen in the distance.  French, American, British and Dutch flags.  Bright colours, green shutters, matshed in the foreground.  Companion picture to No. 14. Oil. 11 x 17 ¾  George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852).

Page 264

No. 37 PORTRAIT OF MR. WILLIAM THOMPSON c 1830

Seated in chair by a table with papers, quill pen in ink-pot; three-quarter face, grey hair, white collar, black frock-coat and white trousers; holding book in hands.  Red curtain at back; open window r. with a view of Factory.

Mr. Wm. Thompson was a partner in Messrs. Turner & Co., of Canton, and this picture was originally the property of a partner of Mr. Thompson.  A typical Chinnery portrait, the fact very well finished and then the accessories completed carelessly.  Oil. 21 x 15. By George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852).

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No. 38 HOW-QUA c1830

How-Qua (born 1769, died 1843) was the senior Hong Merchant in Canton and was a good friend to the foreign community.

“He was a person of remarkable frugal habits (as regards his style of living) from choice and from being of a feeble frame of body.  His generosity was boundless, and in accounts he was singularly methodical and precise, never multiplying them beyond what was absolutely necessary.  The two or three rooms which he occupied during hours of business in his vast, well-regulated Hong, were furnished with simplicity itself.  He withdrew from general business with the foreign community after the Honourable East India Company left Canton, and confined himself exclusively to the house of Messrs. Russell & Co.  Through them his foreign business was entirely managed…….The amount of Houqu’s fortune was frequently subject of debate; but on one occasion, in referring to it in connection with his various investments in rice fields, dwellings, shops, and the banking establishments known as shroffs, and including his American and English shipments, he estimated it, in 1834, at twenty-six millions of dollars.” (Hunter).

Mr. H. Ellis in ‘Lord Amherst’s Embassy’ describes a visit, January 12, 1817, to How-Qua’s house, which was close to their residence, and in the garden were the ruins of the house occupied by Mord Macartney, 1793. “How-qua’s house…….was on a scale of magnificence worthy of his fortune, estimated at two millions.  This villa, or rather palace, is divided into suites of apartments, highly and tastefully decorated with gilding and carved work…….How-qua’s person and looks bespoke that his great wealth had not been accumulated without proportionate anxiety.  He is generally supposed parsimonious, but neither his house or its furniture agreed with the imputation; his domestic establishment, we were informed, consisted of between two and three hundred persons daily feeding at his expense.”

Colour print. 7 x 5 ½.  From an article on George Chinnery by the author published in the ‘Studio’, London, October 15, 1920.  The original oil painting is now in the possession of A.G. Stephen, Esq., Hongkong.  Painted by George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852), for W.H. Chichele Plowden, Agent of the Hon. East India Co.’s Factory in Canton, who returned to England in 1832.

Page 266

No. 39 MOW-QUA, c. 1830

Portrait of Mow-qua, on of the Hong merchants, contemporary of the better known How-qua.  Half length, full face, plum coloured tunic, embroidered panel, blue collar and mandarin’s necklace of jade with pendants.  At r. red button and red tasselled hat with red ball; at l., an opening with landscape view.  Oil.  11 ½ x 9 ½. George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852).

Page 266

No. 40 RIVER-SIDE, CANTON, c. 183

View of bund with native ships, butchers etc.; sampans and small junks in foreground probably at Honam. Oil 18 x 23 ½. George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852).

Page 308

No. 20 STREET FRONT OF MR. PLOWDEN’S HOUSE, MACAO, 1829

View of the street front of the East India Company’s House, Macao, with steps of the Church of St. Lorenzo.  At the period of the drawing, Wm. Hy. Chichele Plowden was the Chief of the East India Company in Canton.  He left China, 1832, and was appointed a Director of the Company in London (b. 1787, d. 1880.  Photograph of pencil drawing.  9 x 14 ½. By  George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852), 1829.  From the original in the possession of A.G. Stephen, Esq., Hongkong.

Page 308

No. 21. STREET SCENE IN MACAO, c. 1829

A characteristic sketch by George Chinnery of coolies at a meal in a street of Macao.  Photograph of a pen and ink drawing.  8 x 9 /12. From the original by George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852) in the possession of the British Museum.

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No. 24. GEORGE CHINNERY R.H.A., c 1830

Seated figure, three-quarters face, black frock-coat, white trousers.  Palette in left hand and brush in right.  Seated in front of an easel on which is a canvas with portrait in progress.  On wall at back are two pencil pictures showing scenes in China.  A fine oil portrait of Chinnery by himself, now in the possession of the National Portrait Gallery, London, in similar in design. 

George Chinnery was born in London 1774, proceeded to India in 1802, where he remained until 1825, when he sailed for Macao and lived there until his death in 1852.  Chinnery’s genius met with early recognition in England and Ireland, and in India he became noted.  In China, while his life was a constant financial struggle, yet on the whole it was a happy one.  Contemporary writers speak of his charming and genial disposition and of the affection in which he was held.  Mr. Hunter, in ‘Bits of Old China,’ has many allusions to Chinnery thus: “Facile in expression, quick in comparison or illustration, he always made himself welcome with his amusing stories of local as well as of Indian life………As a story-teller his words and manner equalled his skill with his brush, while to the ugliest of faces were added deep-set eyes with heavy brows brimming with expression and good nature.” 

Chinnery’s work in China has a certain monotony, for he painted the same individuals and the same scenes and types of Chinese life many times with slight differences in detail.  His great delight was in sketching; every morning of fine weather attracted him out at dawn, and his vigorous sketches in both pen and ink and in pencil are masterly drawings.  Some of his portraits in oil are remarkably good, though, it is said, not always faithful likenesses.  His landscapes and small marine views are especially attractive.

 The author’s collection of Chinnery’s pictures is now in the possession of A.G. Stephen, Esq., Chief Manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, Hongkong, and has a representatives number of the master’s work in oil and water-colour, pen and ink, and pencil.  Tinted pencil drawing. 11 x 13 ¼. By George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852).

Page 309

No. 25. INDIAN SKETCHES, 1806

Two sheets of sketches of Indian coolies or bearers.  These sketches are signed by Chinnery and the signature of the artist to any picture or sketch is very rare.  Tinted pen and ink drawings. 15 x 11. signed, ‘George Chinnery, E.I., 1806’.

Page 310

No. 26i ‘PRAYA GRANDE. MACAO BAY’ c. 1830

View from the north showing the sweep of the foreshore with the Penhas Fort and Monastery on the hill in centre; at r., the ‘pallacio’ occupied by the British factory.  With No. 26 ii a pair of lithographs.  Vigorous drawing and well coloured, but no detail nor accuracy in views of buildings.  Coloured lithographs. 9 x 17.  ‘Drawn on stone by G.P. Reinagle (1802-1835).  From the original by Chinnery’.  Printed by C. Hullmandel (1789-1850).  Published London, Smith, Elder & Co.

Page 310

No. 26ii ‘PRAYA GRANDE. MACAO BAY’ c. 1830

View from the south. At l., is a Portuguese Fort with Mr. Dent’s house behind.  On the hill is the guia Fort, and at r., St. Francis Church.  A pair with No. 26i, from drawing by George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852).

Page 397

No. 42 VICTORIA WEST AND P.&O. HONG, c. 1851

View of the west part of the city of Victoria, Hongkong, showing the premises of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company with their flag over the godown.  The flags behind the P.&O. are French and American.  The hong l., of the picture is probably the Oriental Bank (opened 1845) and has long disappeared as well as the office of the P.&O.  The ‘Hongkong Almanack’ for 1846 records the Company as having the office in Queen’s Road.

The locality of the P.&O. offices shown in the picture was on Marine Lot 16, afterwards M.L. 18, and the premises extended along the present Jubilee Road, west of the Central Market, to the sea-front, now Des Voeux road.  The lease of the Marine Lot to the Company is dated November 2, 1852. (original lease is July 9, 1844), and this date is probably after the completion of the buildings shown in the picture.

New Offices for the Company were built (completed 1882) in front of the old offices which were rented, 1882 to 1888, by the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank during the construction of the present head Office, Wardley Street.  In 1887, the Hongkong Government acquired the whole of the Company’s land, M.L. 18, and the 1882 offices were re-built eastwards, on the site near Jardine, Matheson and Company’s premises.  In 1854 the Company leased M.L. 71, west of Bonham Strand, and there build wharves and workshops.  The Chinese name for the Company ‘tit-hong’ (iron house), was derived from the heavy cast-iron verandah seen in front of the offices.  (From information kindly supplied by F.J. Abbott, Esq., Secretary of the P.&O. Company).  Water-colour drawing.  17 x 28.  The sea front and buildings are probably by George Chinnery R.H.A (1774-1852), with the hills and background filled in by his pupil M.A. Baptista.