Description:
China Trade, Chinese Export marine oil painting depicting the U.S. Clippership "Midnight" off Whampoa Anchorage, circa 1850, in a hand-carved, closed-corner, gold-bevel Hogarth frame. In addition to the China Trade, "Midnight" was also used briefly for whaling out of Nantucket.
Dimensions: Overall 47" wide x 38.5" high. Canvas only: 40.5" wide x 32.5" high. This is a very large painting. Please measure before bidding.
I grew up in a family that collects museum-level American Antiques and the related decorative arts, including Chinese Export. My family collects China Trade Paintings, I grew up in a home with China Trade Paintings, and it has been a goal of mine to recreate faithfully these historically important works.
This painting was made exclusively for us by a master painter in China who apprenticed with one of the last-living artists from the China Trade. (The China Trade extended well into the beginning of the twentieth century.) Because of this training, the painting has the correct luminosity, style, and perspective that characterizes well-executed paintings from the China Trade.
So there is absolutely no confusion: the painting and frame being auctioned here are new. This is not an antique painting. If it were it would be worth at least $50,000. This painting, however, was created with the same methods, materials, techniques, and traditions of its antique counterpart—and was made in the same location by a master artist trained in China Trade Painting. Like the original, the painting here is unsigned.
Please note: this is not a transfer painting or trace-over painting; this painting was executed entirely by hand and took over four months to complete.
Regarding the frame: this Hogarth frame was custom made specifically for this painting. The frame is museum level, historically accurate, entirely hand carved, and has fully finished corners. This means the frame was custom made for this painting and then the frame was finished. The result is that there are no miters or miter lines visible at the corners. This is also known as a "Museum Corner."
Again, this painting is new, but whether you're a scholar, collector, or enthusiast, most would agree that the next step/level up to the 19th century original, of this composition, would be at the very least, a 20-to-50-fold increase in price.
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