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Although these works appear at first glance to be by a European hand, they were actually painted in Canton (modern Guangzhou) and are among the most popular works currently on display in our gallery.
These two portraits were painted around 1800 by the Chinese artist Spoilum. He specialised in depicting foreign merchants and is considered the earliest portrait painter in oils in this region, and perhaps in China itself.
At this date, Canton was the only Chinese port open to international trade. Following the Treaty of Paris in 1784, the United States began to participate in the China trade, and William Read (1767–1846) - the son of George Read (1733–1798), a signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution - was among the earliest traders there.
Foreign traders such as William Read, however, could not have undertaken business in Canton without the help of Hong merchants, intermediaries who oversaw commerce and safeguarded China’s interests at the port. The sitter depicted by Spoilum in the second portrait was one of only twelve Hong merchants in Canton at the time. His costume and the goose shaped badge he is holding indicate his elevated status, identifying him as belonging to the fourth of the twelve merchant ranks.
Together, they help illuminate a moment in history in which borders between trade and artistic influences were increasingly being dismantled, contributing to the emergence of a globalised world.
Together, they help illuminate a moment in history in which borders between trade and artistic influences were increasingly being dismantled, contributing to the emergence of a globalised world.
