Souvenirs from China: Export Art from Cooper Hewitt’s Collection

Join Cooper Hewitt for an illustrated talk exploring a selection of Chinese export paintings from the museum’s department of Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Canton (modern-day Guangzhou) became an important center of trade and artistic production. Drawing from both European and traditional Chinese techniques and media, Cantonese artists and artisans developed distinct types of painting that were made specifically for the foreign market. This program will provide an overview of the materials and techniques as well as the history of export gouaches. The diverse range of subject matter, including botanicals, birds and insects, genre scenes, still-lifes, and interiors, will be shown. Through exploring these paintings in Cooper Hewitt’s collection, participants will learn the rich history of these works and their role in disseminating ideas of “the Orient” to European and North American consumers and shaping the development of Chinoiserie, a 18th-century decorative style that emerged from the fascination with Chinese art and material goods. 

“Souvenirs from China: Export Art from Cooper Hewitt’s Collection” is the first talk in a three-part series exploring a selection of chinoiserie-related materials from the museum’s department of Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design. Future sessions will feature a presentation on the Brighton Pavilion on October 21 and an exploration of chinoiserie drawings and prints from the 18th and 19th centuries and their relation to European decorative arts on November 12.

Speaker:

Jamie Kwan is the Assistant Curator of Drawings, Prints and Graphic Design at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Before her time at the Cooper Hewitt, Kwan served as the Associate Curator at the Wende Museum, an institution focused on the Cold War in Culver City, California. She has also held positions at the Morgan Library & Museum, J. Paul Getty Museum, Huntington Library, and Getty Research Institute.  

 

ACCESSIBILITY AND WHAT TO EXPECT

  • Format: The program will be hosted on Zoom.
  • The viewing link will be emailed to you upon registration.
  • The program will begin with a brief welcome, then the speaker will give presentations with slides followed by a Q&A with the audience. 
  • Accommodations: The program will have live closed captioning. If we can provide additional services to support your participation, email us at CHEducation@si.edu or let us know when you register. Please make your request as far in advance as possible—preferably at least ten days before the program date. 
  • Recording: The program will be recorded and may be posted on Cooper Hewitt’s YouTube channel.