'Canton from the Heights' [Guangzhou, China]

No. 33 of 51 (PAJ2051 - PAJ2101): inscribed by the artist on the album page, as title, with the date '1/69'. This overview of Canton (Guangzhou) appears to be from the high ground to the north-east of the city, looking south towards the Pearl River with its shipping in the distance. The pagoda on the right is likely to the that of the Buddhist Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, founded in 537 AD. The Flower Pagoda, as it is called, was itself built in 1097, rebult after a fire in 1373 and restored in 1900. Butt's expansive view, with the 'repoussoir' detail of a Chinese figure also looking south over a sharply delineated tiled roof in the foreground, shows the enormous size of Canton, even in the 1860s.

Object Details

ID: PAJ2083
Type: Drawing
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Butt, James Henry
Date made: Jan 1869
People: Butt, James Henry
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Sheet: 227 x 291 mm
Parts: Album of topographical views, mainly on the coasts of Japan, China and Formosa (Taiwan) (Album)
Close

Your Request

If an item is shown as “offsite”, please allow eight days for your order to be processed. For further information, please contact Archive staff:

Email:
Tel: (during Library opening hours)

Click “Continue” below to continue processing your order with the Library team.

Continue