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Lot Essay
There is a slightly larger coloured variant of this finely drawn view of the sweeping Praya Grande by Baptista in the Hong Kong Museum of Art, for which see Scenes of Two Cities, Hong Kong & Macau, Hong Kong, 1983, p.73, no.57.
The artist claimed to be a pupil of Chinnery and was based in Macao until the late 1850s when he moved to Hong Kong with his family, setting up a studio and advertising 'views of Hong Kong, Macao, etc., after the late Mr Chinnery, as well as original sketches of his own.' He worked in watercolour and oils, and produced work which is distinctly his own, while aspects of his drawing acknowledge Chinnery's influence: 'The influence of Chinnery on Baptista is most evident in the latter's figure-drawing. In [the present drawing], a view of the Praya Grande at Macau, the architecture is drawn in a manner which is clearly Baptista's (including the slightly perverse perspective in the long angled roof near the right margin), but the drawing of figures and animals is reminiscent of Chinnery in the curving pen-strokes, the summary treatment of faces, the grouping and attitudes of the figures. ... On the other hand, Baptista's drawing of architecture and landscape is quite distinct in style from that of Chinnery. Baptista's detailed draughtsmanship is well suited to topography. ... Where Chinnery obliquely suggests, Baptista presents a thorough explanation' ('Marciano Baptista', Martyn Gregory, 1990, cat.55 p.8).
The artist claimed to be a pupil of Chinnery and was based in Macao until the late 1850s when he moved to Hong Kong with his family, setting up a studio and advertising 'views of Hong Kong, Macao, etc., after the late Mr Chinnery, as well as original sketches of his own.' He worked in watercolour and oils, and produced work which is distinctly his own, while aspects of his drawing acknowledge Chinnery's influence: 'The influence of Chinnery on Baptista is most evident in the latter's figure-drawing. In [the present drawing], a view of the Praya Grande at Macau, the architecture is drawn in a manner which is clearly Baptista's (including the slightly perverse perspective in the long angled roof near the right margin), but the drawing of figures and animals is reminiscent of Chinnery in the curving pen-strokes, the summary treatment of faces, the grouping and attitudes of the figures. ... On the other hand, Baptista's drawing of architecture and landscape is quite distinct in style from that of Chinnery. Baptista's detailed draughtsmanship is well suited to topography. ... Where Chinnery obliquely suggests, Baptista presents a thorough explanation' ('Marciano Baptista', Martyn Gregory, 1990, cat.55 p.8).