An extremely rare pair of Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period large gouache on silk paintings, showing garden and landscapes scenes, with pavilions and waterways.

The oil-on-canvas landscapes and garden scenes that gained immense popularity from the late eighteenth century through the nineteenth century trace their origins to panels like these. Painted in gouache on silk and paper during the third quarter of the eighteenth century, these panels represent a pivotal moment in art history.

These paintings demonstrate the integration of Western principles of perspective into Chinese painting. In both panels, steel-blue mountains recede into the horizon, employing the European convention of fixed-point perspective with a single vanishing point. This technique laid the foundation for the oil paintings of c. 1790–1830, depicting landscapes, court scenes, and seasonal views by artists such as Spoilum and Fatqua.

The popular Canton waterfront paintings also reflect Western influence, yet they maintain a distinctly Chinese character. As scholar Iside Carbone notes, these works preserve the delicate brushwork typical of Chinese painting while adopting a sweeping panoramic perspective, reminiscent of traditional Chinese scrolls. This unique combination can be traced back to early panels like the present pair, which upheld traditional artistic techniques while allowing for a freer and more expressive style. Over time though this creative flexibility became more restricted, as works produced for the Western market adhered to increasingly rigid stylistic conventions.

Despite their artistic and historical significance, panels of this type are exceedingly rare. One such example, described as “this very rare panel” in The Decorative Arts of The China Trade (Woodbridge, 1991), was discovered in England, highlighting their strong appeal in Europe. The fusion of Chinese and European aesthetics likely contributed to their popularity abroad, suggesting that while these works may have been appreciated in China, they were also produced with export in mind. Many were probably created as part of larger series designed to decorate entire rooms, catering to European tastes. The striking stylistic and compositional similarities between the present pair and the illustrated example further suggest a shared workshop origin, reinforcing the idea of coordinated production for an international market.

Delicately painted with soft, washed tones on a textured canvas, these panels exude a sense of tranquillity and restfulness. Their intricate detailing and balanced compositions make them exceptional representatives of this influential artistic tradition.