Fishermen in a Gorge (one of eleven panels of Chinoiserie decoration) thumbnail 1
Not on display

Fishermen in a Gorge (one of eleven panels of Chinoiserie decoration)

Oil Painting
ca. 1696 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
This is one of a set of 11 Chinoiserie panels (Museum nos. P.6 to 16-1954) that was acquired by the Museum in 1954. It is not known which house they were originally intended for, but they relate closely to a set of similar panels painted in 1696 for a house in Botolph Lane, London.

People
Very little is known about the painter and printmaker Robert Robinson and not much of his work survives, apart from the two sets of panels. The panels' dramatic quality may be attributable to Robinson's work as a scene painter for the theatre.

Subjects Depicted
Throughout the 17th century goods from East Asia were highly fashionable. However, these painted panels are one of the earliest manifestations of Chinoiserie. The term denotes purely decorative fantasies produced by European artists and based roughly on East Asian themes, as opposed to imitation of true Chinese forms in such techniques as lacquer work. In these panels all manner of whimsical grotesques are mingled with reminiscences of Chinese, Tartar, and Indian themes.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFishermen in a Gorge (one of eleven panels of Chinoiserie decoration)
Materials and techniques
oil and tempera on panel
Brief description
Oil painted panel with Chinoiserie decoration, [one of a set of 11] showing a fantastic scene of a team of men hauling a dragon boat along a rocky gorge, and fishermen in a boat, by Robert Robinson, about 1696
Physical description
Oil painted panel with Chinoiserie decoration, [one of a set of 11] showing a fantastic scene of a team of men hauling a dragon boat along a rocky gorge, and two fishermen in a boat using a small net, and two men in a canoe. Overhead, a fantastic bird in the sky.
Dimensions
  • Estimate height: 85in
  • Estimate width: 31.25in
  • Framed height: 221cm
  • Framed width: 91cm
  • Framed depth: 6cm
Dimensions taken from Summary catalogue of British Paintings, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1973
Style
Production typeUnique
Credit line
Presented by Art Fund
Object history
Given by the National Art Collections Fund, 1954
Historical context
It is not known which house this set of panels was originally intended for, but they relate closely to a set of similar panels, which were painted in 1696 for a house at 5 Botolph Lane, in the City of London and removed to Sir John Cass's Foundation Primary School, Aldgate, London, in 1906. Very little is known about the painter Robert Robinson and not much of his work survives, apart from these two sets of panels. Robinson's work anticipates the mania for Chinoiserie in England by 30 years or more. The Botolph Lane panels are a mixture of Chinese and Peruvian scenes, whereas the set now in the Museum is mainly Chinese in inspiration. Throughout the 17th century goods from the Far East were highly fashionable. However, these painted panels are one of the earliest manifestations of chinoiserie, i.e. purely decorative fantasies by European artists, based roughly upon Far Eastern themes, as opposed to imitation of true Chinese forms such as lacquer work. In the V&A panels all kinds of whimsical grotesques are mingled with reminiscences of Chinese, Tartar, and Indian themes.
Subject depicted
Summary
Object Type
This is one of a set of 11 Chinoiserie panels (Museum nos. P.6 to 16-1954) that was acquired by the Museum in 1954. It is not known which house they were originally intended for, but they relate closely to a set of similar panels painted in 1696 for a house in Botolph Lane, London.

People
Very little is known about the painter and printmaker Robert Robinson and not much of his work survives, apart from the two sets of panels. The panels' dramatic quality may be attributable to Robinson's work as a scene painter for the theatre.

Subjects Depicted
Throughout the 17th century goods from East Asia were highly fashionable. However, these painted panels are one of the earliest manifestations of Chinoiserie. The term denotes purely decorative fantasies produced by European artists and based roughly on East Asian themes, as opposed to imitation of true Chinese forms in such techniques as lacquer work. In these panels all manner of whimsical grotesques are mingled with reminiscences of Chinese, Tartar, and Indian themes.
Bibliographic references
  • E. Croft-Murray: Decorative Painting in England, 1537-1837, i (London, 1962), pp. 46-7 E. Croft-Murray: An English Painter of Chinoiseries (Country Life Annual, 1955) pp174-179
  • Brunel, Georges, Pagodes et Dragons: exotisme et fantaisie dans L'Europe rococo 1720-1770, Paris, Paris musées, 2007.
  • Beevers, David (ed.) Chinese Whispers: Chinoiserie in Britain 1650-1930, Brighton: The Royal Pavilion and Museums, 2008
  • Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings Accessions 1954 London: HMSO, 1963
Collection
Accession number
P.9-1954

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdApril 10, 2002
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest