Lot Essay
A panoramic view of the Western consulates and trading houses along the west bank of the Hunagpu River
On 17 November, 1843, the city of Shanghai was formally opened to British trade with the ratification of the Treaty of Nanking. In the following year, the United States and France signed similar treaties and other nations followed
The British Consulate can be seen on the extreme right, overlooking Suzhou Creek. The offices of Jardine, Matheson & Co. are to the left with Augustine Heard & Co. which also served as the Russian consulate, next to them. Other conspicuous buildings near the centre of the picture are the tower of Trinity Church (later Holy Trinity Cathedral), the scarlet walled Chinese Customs House and the premises of Adamson and Co. The French concession is on the extreme left of the picture
Chow Kwa is thought to have had a studio in Shanghai from approximately 1855 to 1880. Some of his pictures bear a label with his name and in rare instances he signed a small number on the front of the canvas. He was associated in particular with high-quality detailed views of Shanghai. A larger version of this picture is in the Hong Kong Museum of Art. See Gateways to China, 1987, no.40
On 17 November, 1843, the city of Shanghai was formally opened to British trade with the ratification of the Treaty of Nanking. In the following year, the United States and France signed similar treaties and other nations followed
The British Consulate can be seen on the extreme right, overlooking Suzhou Creek. The offices of Jardine, Matheson & Co. are to the left with Augustine Heard & Co. which also served as the Russian consulate, next to them. Other conspicuous buildings near the centre of the picture are the tower of Trinity Church (later Holy Trinity Cathedral), the scarlet walled Chinese Customs House and the premises of Adamson and Co. The French concession is on the extreme left of the picture
Chow Kwa is thought to have had a studio in Shanghai from approximately 1855 to 1880. Some of his pictures bear a label with his name and in rare instances he signed a small number on the front of the canvas. He was associated in particular with high-quality detailed views of Shanghai. A larger version of this picture is in the Hong Kong Museum of Art. See Gateways to China, 1987, no.40