The immediacy of impact the opening of the China Trade had upon the world's markets is unparalleled. Europeans and Americans alike soon clamored for the spices and silks introduced by the sailing merchants. Western fortunes were built upon the success of the booming demand. Of all the items, the most desirable today are the paintings which depict the important Chinese harbors and the ships which visited them throughout the 19th century.
The earliest examples of these works were of the harbors of Canton and Macao in the late eighteenth century. The first views of Hong Kong, such as this example, began to appear early in the 19th century. As Hong Kong grew in stature as a British crown colony, these paintings became an important record of the development of the port and the increasing volume of international shipping that called there.
This example uniquely shows several ships with sails up, including an American clipper in the heart of the port. Three British ensigns are visible to the right with another American at anchor, while a variety of other European flags are visible to the left and on the headland buildings. The signal tower is in place atop Victoria Peak, and the larger estates rise on the peak's lower foothill elevations. This painting is complete with colorful hues in the sky and a sense of the fading light from the sun traveling beyond across the Chinese mainland, headed like this painting, for Western lands.
