Athenaeum Gives Peek Into China Trade Past

Boston Athenaeum; photo by Adam Smith

If you were a big deal in Boston back in the 1850s, there’s a good chance you owned a work by the Chinese portrait artist Lamqua.

“Several prominent families owned his portraits,” said Boston Athenaeum curator Astrid Tvetenstrand, during a recent tour of “Exhibiting China,” a show of several works by the renowned painter.

Lamqua had painted businessmen who helped facilitate trade to the U.S., including Keying, Wu Tianxian (also known as Samqua), Lin Chong, Cumwa and Houqua.

“Houqua was known as the richest person in China,” said Tvetenstrand. “He facilitated most of the trade to the West.”

All five works – dating from the mid-1800s – are now back on display at the Athenaeum, for the first time in 175 years. All were a part of the Athenaeum’s debut art exhibit at its 10½ Beacon St. building in 1850. The original show included around 260 other works, but these five were the entirety of the Chinese portraits, said the curator.

“‘Exhibiting China’ provides us the opportunity to reflect on Boston’s rich cultural and mercantile history, while celebrating the Boston Athenaeum’s robust and diverse exhibition and collection history,” said Tvetenstrand, adding that the painting as well as objects including a brass and copper duck statue used to hold incense “offer a powerful understanding of the people, customs, and values that facilitated the China trade in the 19th century.”

All the works were owned by China trade merchant and Athenaeum proprietor Augustine Heard, who lived from 1785–1868. Founded in 1807 on Beacon Hill, the Boston Athenaeum is one of the nation’s oldest member-supported libraries and holds over a half million works including statues and busts of historic figures such as George Washington. The show runs through Nov. 1.

Correction: The original version of this story and the print version incorrectly said that Lamqua had a studio on Boston. This story has been updated to correct the error. Sampan apologizes for the mistake.