Asia House presents a free exhibition of drawings, oil paintings and watercolours by George Chinnery (1774-1852), an eccentric British artist who spent much of his life in Asia.
The installation features items loaned by a number of public and private collections including the British Library; the British Museum; the Courtauld Gallery; The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, (HSBC); the National Portrait Gallery; the Sze Yuan Tang Collection; the Victoria and Albert Museum and many more. Most of the items have not been publicly displayed until now.
The Flamboyant Mr Chinnery is curated by Dr Patrick Conner. Conner, formerly Keeper of Fine Art at the Royal Pavilion, Art Gallery and Museums, Brighton, is now Director of the Martyn Gregory Gallery, London, specialists in China trade paintings. The exhibition, the first major display of Chinnery's work to be held in the UK since 1957, is sponsored by HSBC as part of the company's Cultural Exchange programme.
While other British artists were visiting Asia, George Chinnery made the life-changing decision to live there permanently. The case of George Chinnery is both puzzling and fascinating. Over the years there has been no shortage of exhibitions of his work in locations such as Lisbon (1995), Tokyo (1996), Hong Kong (2005), and Macau in 2010 – but nothing in the UK since an Arts Council display in 1957, and before that an installation at the Tate in 1932. It seems that in recent years George Chinnery has been sadly ignored in his home country, a situation that is about to be set right by the Asia House presentation taking place from 4th November 2011 to 21st January 2012.
George Chinnery – About the Artist
George Chinnery, son of a writing master, was born in London in 1774. After training at the Royal Academy Schools Chinnery focused mainly on small portraits in watercolours and ivory, showing several miniatures at the Royal Academy between 1791 and 1795.
In 1796 he went to Ireland and further developed his career with landscapes and large portraits. In 1802 Chinnery travelled to India, leaving his Irish wife and children behind. By 1812 he was well established in Calcutta and acknowledged as the most important Western artist working there at that time. His wife and family joined him in 1818, but due to his inability to manage his finances, and despite lucrative commissions, Chinnery was forced to flee to China in 1825, abandoning his family and escaping his creditors. He remained in China for a further 27 years, until his death in 1852.
Chinnery had many Chinese followers who coped his work, keen to emulate the European style. In addition, he himself made copies of his own work but left most of them unsigned. The resulting confusion means that many works attributed to Chinnery were probably created by others, while many genuine items remain unattributed.
As Chinnery's career progressed his works became smaller and simpler. There is much speculation as to why this change came about. Maybe the paintings had to fit into the smaller houses of his customers; perhaps the cost of materials was prohibitive; or perhaps the artist's health was failing.
Highlights of The Flamboyant Mr Chinnery
One of the most interesting items on display is Street scene, Macao, with pigs. This small oil painting measures barely 20.6 x 24.4 cm. The umbrella and the railings are recurring themes in many of Chinnery's drawings and paintings.
The installation also features a group of self-portraits. Chinnery regarded himself as 'the ugliest man on the China coast'. Self-portrait in old age shows the artist in his later years.
The Asia House presentation also includes works by the artist's contemporaries, such as Tom Raw visits Chinnery in his studio, a pen and watercolour drawing by Sir Charles D'Oyly (1781-1845). According to D'Oyly, Chinnery preferred to paint landscapes such as Figures at the water’s edge by a ruined tomb, Bengal, also featured in the display.
The Flamboyant Mr Chinnery – Exhibition Catalogue
The exhibition is supported by a fully illustrated catalogue by Patrick Conner. The 88-page publication features more than 100 colour illustrations. The book is published by River Books, and priced at £15: ISBN 978 616 7339 12 2.
The Flamboyant Mr Chinnery will be on show at Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, London, W1G 7LP, until 21st January 2012. Further information is available from Asia House.
Frances Spiegel - Frances Spiegel, B.A. Hons. (Open)., Dip.Eur.Hum., read Art History/European Modern History at the Open University.
