Oval panel with figures in boats in a riverlandscape c. 1770 - 1775

This oval panel presents figures in boats amidst a serene river landscape, crafted by an anonymous artist. The painting's cultural references indicate the China trade, and its themes offer insight into the social values of its time. This is likely to have been produced for the western market. Its idyllic river scene, for example, reinforces a romantic vision of the far east, as did other forms of 'chinoiserie' that were popular at that time. Here, leisure activities of boating become symbolic of a culture of refinement, even of a kind of hedonism. We can consider this painting alongside the writings of European travelers of the time. It romanticizes the culture, and this undoubtedly helped trade. As art historians, we delve into these historical contexts, examining trade records, travelogues, and cultural exchanges to understand how art shapes, and is shaped by, the currents of social and institutional life.