Chinese Export Paintings

This book deciphers the specific formula for market success of Chinese export paintings—produced in and exported from Guangzhou, China, for the Western market, catering to the taste of foreign customers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries at the height of China trade. These paintings are often under-researched and misunderstood. Dr Maria Mok shares untold market-oriented concepts, problem-solving ideas, and tactical artistic decisions. These include historical reliability being a prerequisite for a best-seller, varying demands in the market for different types of paintings, “mistakes” and “omissions” that explain market preference, and more. This research provides a deeper understanding of the style and the development of these paintings, reinstates the uniqueness and historical meaning of this vanished art form, and decodes the secret for success for scholars, collectors and curators on these paintings—a special genre with a distinct East-meets-West story.