James Wilson Carmichael

Sale: Christie's, London, 6 November 1997, lot 590

Against the distinctive skyline of the island, the sheer number and proximity of craft reflect the vital importance of Hong Kong as a burgeoning centre of global trade.  The sleek hull of a British Opium schooner cuts closely across the sumptuously decorated stern of a Chinese deep water junk. Closer to the shore, to the right of the junk, can be seen a large British man-of-war, while a local transport barge rounds the buoy in the foreground.  This variety allows Carmichael to display his exceptional first-hand knowledge of the vessels of his day, as well as a masterful sense of perspective and scale.  It is possible that source material for the picture may have been provided by Captain G.A. Coulson, a fellow Northumbrian and Senior Lieutenant on HMS Blonde who had seen action in the recent hostilities. On his return from the Orient he presented Carmichael with a sketch of China as well as recent first hand reports. Thus the significance of the present work can barely be overstated, being arguably the earliest depiction of Hong Kong by a European artist.