Two Chinese Laborers c. 1838

This undated pencil on paper drawing is titled "Two Chinese Laborers" and was created by George Chinnery, an English artist who spent much of his career in Asia. Chinnery lived in a period marked by growing Western engagement with China, where the labor and culture of Chinese people were often exoticized or misunderstood. Here, we see two figures rendered with quick, light strokes, capturing them in the midst of physical work. The sketch invites us to consider their individual stories, and the broader context of labor, trade, and cultural exchange in 19th-century China. While Chinnery’s intentions behind this sketch remain ambiguous, it is important to consider how his Western perspective may have shaped his depiction of these workers. Does this image challenge or perpetuate existing power dynamics? "Two Chinese Laborers" prompts us to reflect on the complex relationship between the artist, his subjects, and the viewer, urging us to consider whose stories are being told and how.