
May one see it?
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
This painting of a tufted duck is an example of a type of picture mass-produced in China for European visitors. It was made in Canton (Guangzhou) in southern China. In the 18th century the city became the principal, and later the only, trading port at which Europeans were permitted to buy Chinese goods.
Foreign flora and fauna were of great interest to British botanists in the 18th and 19th centuries, and their enthusiasm gradually filtered down to the general public. Travellers often returned to Britain with paintings depicting numerous species of birds.
Victoria and Albert Museum