Cais de Guangzhou

The Guangzhou Dock — Canton
Chinese School, 19th century
Oil on canvas
Dim: 45.6 cm × 60.0 cm
Prov.: G. Santana de la Fuente, Madrid; Jorge Ferreira, Lisbon
D1865

Cais de Guangzhou
Óleo s/tela
Escola chinesa, século XIX
Dim: 45.6 cm × 60.0 cm
D1858

This mid-19th century oil on canvas, possibly painted by
the same Chinese artist that produced the previously described
‘Macao Tanka women’ scene, portrays a daily life view of Canton,
of abundant formal and compositional details.
On the left foreground a building in semidarkness that defines
the painting’s light. In the shade, close to the wall, a parasol,
a food selling stall and four men, contrasting with the two figures
that seem to stroll and chat on the dock. Both groups share the
colour red, in the watermelons and in a package, contributing for
reenforcing the scene’s main plan. Further afield the composition
is denser, and rich in elements, as emphasized by the boats, the
stone bridge, and the moving people.
On the opposite bank, numerous anchored boats, and various
buildings, amongst which the two treetops that introduce
nature. The sky is affirmed by its light blue clarity and by the
almost static clouds.
This detail, almost a snapshot of the Guangzhou dock, formerly
Canton, depicts the canal that penetrated through the city
flat suburbs, the only one in this coastal city, and where it was
possible to dock.
In the shade, three sellers and a possible fisherman seem to
converse by a stall, possibly selling watermelon slices, with two
baskets of identical fruits underneath. They are shoeless and
humbly dressed, one simply wearing short trousers. The two
passers-by standing out from the centre of the composition seem
to chat unworriedly, their higher status clearly identified by the
full costume and footwear, as well as by their forehead tonsureand long plait. This type of hair styling 1, customary in the Qing
dynasty (ca. 1644 – 1912), symbolized Chinese Han social control
and submission to Manchu authority. 2
While three sampan sail in the river, it is possible to discern
numerous others anchored on the opposite bank, this dock being
destined to trading from small Chinese vessels. From amongst
those, stands out a large Mandarin’s boat, who controlled trading,
with its boatmen on deck. No foreign vessels are present in the
scene as they could not sail into Canton, being forced to anchor
at Whampoa, further down the river. From that point upriver the
Europeans had to be taken to the city on the sampan.
Visible behind the port, the city’s residential neighbourhood,
where most buildings were also destined to commercial activities.
The riverbanks are joined by a bridge crossed by merchants,
boatmen and passers-by. On it, two people enjoy the sights seated
on the wooden barriers, a labourer carries a bundle of withe and
seated on a stool, a trader waits for a sale.
China Trade views are characterized by maritime scenes,
landscapes, and everyday depictions as well as by portraits. From
the late 18th century onwards, cultural, and artistic exchanges
between Chinese and Europeans resulted in a hybrid style of evident
mastery and refinement. Most paintings were produced in
watercolour and gouache on paper and defined by their colour
diversity, as if assuming the role of early postcards. These works
reached the peak of their popularity in the mid-19th century, on
account of the Aesthetic Orientalism tendencies, being generally
purchased by European travellers on their return home. Today they
are important testimonies of one, mostly lost, China.

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Pintura a óleo sobre tela representando pormenor do cais de Guangzhou (Cantão), circunscrito ao canal que se adentra pelos subúrbios planos da cidade. Em terra, destacam-se seis figuras masculinas de desigual estatuto social: três vendedores, um possível pescador e, ao centro, dois compradores locais. No canal, embarcações de pequena dimensão navegando e na margem oposta do rio, barcos atracados e múltiplas habitações. As margens do rio encontram-se unidas por uma ponte.
Neste cais estão atracados barcos chineses de pequena dimensão para a realização de trocas comerciais, nomeadamente sampanas com os respetivos barqueiros e um barco mandarim. O ritmo do quotidiano destes comerciantes e barqueiros parece demarcado por uma certa sensação de movimento conferida pelas figuras que atravessam a ponte, umas conversando em andamento, outras encostadas guardas ou sentadas num banco, pelos compradores no deck que conversam dirigindo-se para a banca dos vendedores que conversam e pelo contraste da tonalidade da água, mediante a circulação das embarcações.
As figuras masculinas são diferenciadas pelo penteado e vestimentas. Duas em primeiro plano não só usam calçado e vestuário completo como também se destacam por uma trança que pende nas costas e tonsura na região frontal. Este estilo de cabelo , comum no período da dinastia Qing (c. 1644-1912), simbolizava o controlo social e a submissão dos Han chineses à autoridade Manchu . Os homens que estão a comercializar, no lado esquerdo da composição, estão descalças, estando um com os membros inferiores cobertos. Estes pormenores permitem-nos identificar o estatuto social das diferentes personagens retratadas, neste pitoresco Cantão. Em último plano são visíveis diversas habitações usadas para fins comerciais e mais distantes parcelas de terra ao longo do canal.
As representações pictóricas de China Trade caracterizam-se por cenas marítimas (embarcações de guerra e de comércio e portos ou cidades portuárias), paisagísticas, retrato e quotidiano. A partir de finais do século XVIII, as trocas culturais e artísticas entre europeus e chineses resultaram num estilo híbrido, com notória perícia e requinte de realização descritiva e minuciosa.
A maioria era produzida em aguarela e guache sobre papel e tinha como principal característica a diversidade de cores, assumindo-se como uma espécie de “postais ilustrados”. Estas obras atingiriam maior popularidade em meados do século XIX por conta da tendência do Orientalismo Estético.

Bibliografia:
CHINNERY, George. Imagens de Macau Oitocentista. Instituto Cultural de Macau, 1997

CONNER, Patrick. The Hongs of Canton – Western merchants in South China 1700-1900, as seen in Chinese export paintings. London: English Art Books, 2019.

CROSSMAN, Carl L. The Decorative Arts of the China Trade – Paintings, Furnishings and exotic curiosities. Suffolk: Antique Collector’s Club, 1988.

HOWARD, David Sanctuary. New York and the China Trade. Nova Iorque: The New-York Historical Society, 1984.

NUNES, Cheila. A colecção de pintura China Trade (Séculos XVIII-XX) do Museu de Marinha - Inventário e Proposta de Exposição Temporária. Lisboa: Universidade de Lisboa, 2019. Dissertação de Mestrado.