Artwork
Baikal Teal
Baikal Teal is a paint painting by the Patna School of Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This painting depicts a Baikal teal, a type of duck, in a straightforward composition. Produced in Canton (Guangzhou), China, it exemplifies a category of artwork mass-manufactured for European travelers.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, a Baikal teal, reflects European fascination with foreign flora and fauna during the 18th and 19th centuries. Such artworks catered to the interest of botanists and the broader public in exotic species.
Technique & Style
While specific artistic techniques are not detailed, the simple setting suggests a focus on clear species representation, typical of Chinese artworks created for European natural history interests.
History & Provenance
Created in 18th-century Canton, a sole European trading port in China, this painting was likely acquired by a traveler returning to Britain, part of a trend in collecting species illustrations.
Context
The piece is contextualized within the broader trade of Chinese goods to Europe, with similar works found in collections like the Victoria and Albert Museum, highlighting cross-cultural artistic exchange.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
