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| 130 A pair of fine oil paintings 19th century Total dimensions: 32 1/8 x 25 1/2 in, 81.5 x 64.8 cm one has a scene of three gentlemen playing cards, with a young servant approaching them with one finger raised as if trying to catch their attention. On a low table stands a tray of cups and a carrier containing tea or wine. A landscape painting hangs beside one half of a poetic couplet. Large trees are visible through the window. The other painting shows four gentlemen intently playing a gambling game; a servant enters the room holding a large bag of money. Their faces are particularly well portrayed. Above them hangs a painting of bamboo and pine between a poetic couplet. A wall, in need of repair, and above it a tall tree can be seen through the door. Such works were not painted from life but were composed for their mostly western recipients to satisfy their curiosity about a perceived exotic culture and society. |
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For a single, related painting of a Chinese interior with a family playing cards, see Cameron, Chinnery & the China Coast: paintings from the collection of The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, no. 24. |
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