Who painted Pounding Tea Leaves and Forming Tea Cakes?

Pounding Tea Leaves and Forming Tea Cakes was painted by Unknown in 1800.

Where can I see Pounding Tea Leaves and Forming Tea Cakes?

Pounding Tea Leaves and Forming Tea Cakes is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is Pounding Tea Leaves and Forming Tea Cakes?

Pounding Tea Leaves and Forming Tea Cakes is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Pounding Tea Leaves and Forming Tea Cakes

Unknown , 1800

Pounding Tea Leaves and Forming Tea Cakes is a paint painting by the Romanticist artist Unknown. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Pounding Tea Leaves and Forming Tea Cakes is a painting from a 12-part series illustrating the Chinese tea industry.

Subject & Meaning

The scene depicts a man pounding tea leaves, with trays of tea cakes nearby, offering a glimpse into the processing of tea, a commodity China monopolized globally until around 1750.

Technique & Style

The painting employs a textured approach reminiscent of impasto, a technique characterized by thickly applied paint.

Context

Created for a European audience, the work caters to the curiosity of Westerners about tea production in China, a country that was the sole global tea supplier at the time.