Laughing Thrush
Painting
1800-1830 (made)
1800-1830 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This painting of a laughing thrush is an example of a type of picture that was mass produced in China for European visitors. It was made in Canton (Guangzhou) in southern China. In the 18th century the city became the principal – and later the only – trading port at which Europeans were permitted to buy Chinese goods.
Foreign 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 paintings depicting numerous species of birds.
Foreign 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 paintings depicting numerous species of birds.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Laughing Thrush (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Watercolour and ink on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, 'Laughing Thrush', watercolour and ink on paper, Guangzhou, China, 1800-1830 |
| Physical description | Rectangular watercolour painting depicting a bird on plain ground. The bird, singing, is perched ona shrub with red blossoms. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | Foreign flora and fauna was 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 paintings depicting numerous species of birds. This painting of a laughing thrush is one of those mass-produced pictures aimed at European visitors. Purchased from a source not recorded in the Asia Department registers, accessioned in 1886. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This painting of a laughing thrush is an example of a type of picture that was mass produced in China for European visitors. It was made in Canton (Guangzhou) in southern China. In the 18th century the city became the principal – and later the only – trading port at which Europeans were permitted to buy Chinese goods. Foreign 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 paintings depicting numerous species of birds. |
| Bibliographic reference | Souvenir from Canton : Chinese export paintings from the Victoria and Albert Museum, Shanghai, 2003
no.269 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | D.666-1886 |
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| Record created | October 1, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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