Description
Join Cooper Hewitt for an illustrated talk exploring a selection of Chinese export paintings from the museum’s department of Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Canton (modern-day Guangzhou) became an important center of trade and artistic production. Drawing from both European and traditional Chinese techniques and media, Cantonese artists and artisans developed distinct types of painting that were made specifically for the foreign market. This program will provide an overview of the materials and techniques as well as the history of export gouaches. The diverse range of subject matter, including botanicals, birds and insects, genre scenes, still-lifes, and interiors, will be shown. Through exploring these paintings in Cooper Hewitt’s collection, participants will learn the rich history of these works and their role in disseminating ideas of “the Orient” to European and North American consumers and shaping the development of Chinoiserie, a 18th-century decorative style that emerged from the fascination with Chinese art and material goods.