Luofu White thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Luofu White

Painting
1770-1790 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This painting is from a set of 24, each inscribed with the Chinese name of the plant. 'Luofu white' seems to be a name local to the Guangdong province and its botanical name is unclear.
Unfamiliar flora and fauna were of great interest to British botanists in the 18th and 19th centuries, and such enthusiasm gradually filtered down to the general public. Travellers often returned to Britain with foreign plants and, more commonly, paintings depicting numerous species of tropical flowers and fruits.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleLuofu White (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour and ink on paper
Brief description
Painting, "Luofu White", watercolours on paper, Guangzhou, China, 1770-1790
Physical description
Rectangular watercolour painting depicting a series of white and yellowe flowers on two stems with spiked green leaves. The ackground largely plain but for the ground which is styled to look like a hill.
Dimensions
  • Height: 26.1cm
  • Width: 29.2cm
Style
Object history
Unfamiliar flora and fauna had strong appeal to British botanists in the 18th century, and such interest gradually filtered down to the general public. Travellers brought back to Britain foreign plants and more commonly, paintings depicting the numerous species of tropical flowers and fruits. This painting is from a set of 24, each inscribed with the Chinese name of the plant. 'Luofu white' seems to be a name local to the Guangdong province and its botanical name is unclear.
Purchased from E. Parsons, accessioned in 1889. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Subject depicted
Summary
This painting is from a set of 24, each inscribed with the Chinese name of the plant. 'Luofu white' seems to be a name local to the Guangdong province and its botanical name is unclear.
Unfamiliar flora and fauna were of great interest to British botanists in the 18th and 19th centuries, and such enthusiasm gradually filtered down to the general public. Travellers often returned to Britain with foreign plants and, more commonly, paintings depicting numerous species of tropical flowers and fruits.
Bibliographic reference
Souvenir from Canton : Chinese export paintings from the Victoria and Albert Museum, Shanghai, 2003
Collection
Accession number
D.1269-1889

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Record createdOctober 30, 2002
Record URL
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