Two drawings of a Chinese boat under sail

The primary focus of the studies is a traditional Chinese junk, its single mast bearing a fully raised sail. The side view introduces a smaller boat, suggesting a bustling maritime scene and offering a glimpse of everyday river or coastal traffic observed by the artist.

Chinnery employed plain graphite pencil to capture the hull’s contours and the billowing sail with swift, economical strokes. The drawings lack elaborate shading or decorative detail, emphasizing accurate observation over decorative finish, characteristic of his quick field sketches.

Created while Chinnery was based in Macau, the works reflect his frequent exposure to local vessels. They entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they are catalogued as part of the museum’s holdings of 19th‑century Asian drawings.

During the early 19th century Macau served as a hub for trade between China and European merchants. Chinnery, a British expatriate artist, documented the visual culture of the port, and these studies exemplify his interest in recording the everyday life of the region.