George Chinnery was born in London in 1774, and studied at the Royal Academy Schools. His marriage of 1799 failed, and he left Britain in 1802, initially sailing to Madras and then to Calcutta. Chinnery never returned to London, but spent the remainder of his life in the Far East; China and India. The Flamboyant Mr Chinnery (1774 – 1852): An English Artist in India And China is his first major exhibition in Britain for over fifty years. The venue, Asia House, is the leading pan Asian organisation – non-political, not for profit – in the UK, and exists to build dynamic links to Asia. It provides unique insights into culture, policy, business, education and building stronger relationships between the diverse communities of Europe and Asia.
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| George Chinnery (1774-1852) Portrait of the hong merchant, Mowqua Oil on canvas 62.2 x 45.8 cm The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited |
The works on view; landscapes, portraits and scenes of people at work, show him to be talented in pen and ink drawing, and watercolour and oil painting. He was a direct observer of human nature in the way of William Hogarth, and recorded man scenes of life in nineteenth-century Macau. In Portrait of the hong merchant, Mowqua, we see the finely dressed subject seated amid the spoils of his trade; porcelain, wall hangings, decorated furniture. He seems lost in contemplation, quite possibly about the world that we get a glimpse of through a round window. Goldfish are swimming in the glass bowl that is on a table by his side. Does the merchant feel as confined in his world as the fish do, we wonder?
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| George Chinnery (1774-1852) Street traders, macau Oil on canvas 22.9 x 17.8 cm HSBC Holdings |
In Street Traders in Macau, we see the seamier side of life. A young man leans out of a house and throws coins to a group of traders that are standing in a street. One of their number reaches upwards holding the leather bag that the man is buying. Behind them, a beggar sits with his hand outstretched. In the foreground, a large pig forages for food. Which of the subjects are doing best in the quest for bread, we wonder? Both images point to the fine, allegorical painter that Chinnery might have become, if he had stayed in the West. Do take time out to see the remaining images in this intriguing exhibition. It is open until January 21, 2012.