Artwork
Mai Jiang
Mai Jiang is a paint painting by the Romanticist artist Puqua. It dates from 1790 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work is a rectangular watercolor created in 1790 by the artist Puqua. It portrays a single figure transporting two wicker baskets on a shoulder pole, set against an unadorned white background. The composition is part of a larger series of one hundred images that document diverse occupations and trades found in Canton during the late eighteenth century.
Subject & Meaning
At the center of the painting stands a man in a white shirt and blue trousers, his head shaved and his hair tied in a long ponytail. He balances a pole across his shoulder, the ends of which support a basket in each hand; one basket contains a white cloth. The straightforward depiction emphasizes the daily labor of a carrier, offering a visual record of a specific occupational role.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor, the piece relies on delicate washes and precise brushwork to render the figure and the woven baskets.
Executed in watercolor, the piece relies on delicate washes and precise brushwork to render the figure and the woven baskets. The stark white ground eliminates any contextual scenery, directing the viewer’s focus to the subject. While the composition is simple, its handling of light and texture reflects the influence of Romantic sensibilities, particularly the emphasis on individual experience and emotive clarity.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the museum’s collection in 1898 after being purchased from the dealers Parsons & Sons. Its acquisition is documented in the Asia Department registers, which were updated following a provenance research project completed in 2022. The record confirms the work’s continuous presence in the collection for more than a century.
Context
Puqua’s image belongs to a systematic series intended to illustrate the variety of trades practiced in Canton, a major commercial hub of the Qing dynasty. By cataloguing occupations, the series served both documentary and didactic purposes, providing European audiences with visual insight into the economic life of a distant port city during a period of expanding global trade.
Artist & collection
