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Lot Essay
The picture is titled 'Singapohr', a German spelling of Singpore in the 19th century, suggesting it may have been commissioned by a German merchant. A variant was with Martyn Gregory (cat.53, 1993, no.89). Views of the waterfront at Singapore by Chinese export artists are relatively rare. As with their more common views of the Hongs at Canton, and of Hong Kong from Victoria harbour, these painted views can be dated by the architecture: the present view dates to before 1855 as the second English Church (St Andrew's) with its spire is shown on the waterfront to the right of Government Hill. The church was demolished in 1855 after its spire was struck twice by lightning. Raffles's old Residency, demolished in 1859, still stands on Government Hill (now Fort Canning Hill). The waterfront below extends from the old Malay fishing village, already now the fast growing commercial district, on the left, to the European town on the right, punctuated by its landmark buildings running along the Esplanade and Beach Road:
'Many topographical views of 19th century Singapore focus on the central part of the town, or north of the Singapore River, showing the merchant houses and civic establishment, including the Esplanade, and the public buildings comprising the courthouse, gaol, and merchant houses. The buildings by George Drumgold Coleman (Superintendant of Works responsible for the development of the settlement after 1825), such as St Andrew's Church ... and the rebuilt Singapore Institution (Raffles Institution), also feature regularly in these views. ... Coleman brought the Western architectural tradition to Singapore, marking a departure from the Malay houses of Jackson's era. His style was essentially Palladian and included classical pillars, pediments, white stucco walls, Doric and Tuscan columns as well as pilasters, arcades and piazza, but with the decorations and details of the late Georgian period. Apart from architectural facades, European influence was seen in parks, churches, avenues, promenades, bridges and carriageways. 'In the views of the civic area, Singapore is depicted to resemble a late Georgian or Regency city, such as London and Calcutta, where church towers and steeples stud the skyline at the Esplanade. ... The dominance of paintings and prints that focused on the public buildings in central Singapore and colonial life is at odds with the highly cosmopolitan nature of Singapore. Singapore was, in fact, a predominantly Chinese town by the 1860s, with sizeable communities of peninsular Malays, Javanese, Bugis, Boyanese, Indians, Ceylonese, Arabs, Jews and Eurasian. While travel literature contains rich and lengthy accounts of the different ethnic enclaves, especially of Chinatown, ... pictures showing this diversity are rare.' (Wong Hong Suen, Singapore through 19th century Prints and Paintings, Singapore, 2010, pp.38-39).
The diversity is indicated here in the shipping: Chinese junks and Malay craft lie in the outer roadstead along with square-rigged clippers and steamers from France, the United States, Denmark and Britain.
'Many topographical views of 19th century Singapore focus on the central part of the town, or north of the Singapore River, showing the merchant houses and civic establishment, including the Esplanade, and the public buildings comprising the courthouse, gaol, and merchant houses. The buildings by George Drumgold Coleman (Superintendant of Works responsible for the development of the settlement after 1825), such as St Andrew's Church ... and the rebuilt Singapore Institution (Raffles Institution), also feature regularly in these views. ... Coleman brought the Western architectural tradition to Singapore, marking a departure from the Malay houses of Jackson's era. His style was essentially Palladian and included classical pillars, pediments, white stucco walls, Doric and Tuscan columns as well as pilasters, arcades and piazza, but with the decorations and details of the late Georgian period. Apart from architectural facades, European influence was seen in parks, churches, avenues, promenades, bridges and carriageways. 'In the views of the civic area, Singapore is depicted to resemble a late Georgian or Regency city, such as London and Calcutta, where church towers and steeples stud the skyline at the Esplanade. ... The dominance of paintings and prints that focused on the public buildings in central Singapore and colonial life is at odds with the highly cosmopolitan nature of Singapore. Singapore was, in fact, a predominantly Chinese town by the 1860s, with sizeable communities of peninsular Malays, Javanese, Bugis, Boyanese, Indians, Ceylonese, Arabs, Jews and Eurasian. While travel literature contains rich and lengthy accounts of the different ethnic enclaves, especially of Chinatown, ... pictures showing this diversity are rare.' (Wong Hong Suen, Singapore through 19th century Prints and Paintings, Singapore, 2010, pp.38-39).
The diversity is indicated here in the shipping: Chinese junks and Malay craft lie in the outer roadstead along with square-rigged clippers and steamers from France, the United States, Denmark and Britain.