(Feb 19, 2008) BaoQu Tang Modern Art Gallery and the Gallery by the Harbour will jointly hold an unprecedented exhibition, 19th century European Genre and Salon Oil Paintings, from March to April 2008. More than 150 oil paintings by some of the 19th century's most famous and influential European artists will be displayed and sold, including the painting "Fishermen at work" by Dutch painter "H.W. Jansen", which has been exhibited at the Berlin Art Exhibition in 1902.

All the exhibited paintings are classified into four different themes including Genre, Landscape, Beauty and Family (please refer to appendix for the details) so that audience can experience and appreciate these classical oil paintings from different perspectives, thus reading the different stories of 19th century European lives. Behind each and every painting, there is a real story which is beautifully depicted through the imagination and creativity of artists.

The Industrial Revolution not only brought in new innovations and unprecedented wealth but also created a new middle class in 19th century Europe. This new and wealthy class, who valued the quality of life, became the new patron for the art market. Thus, artists not only served the church and imperial court but also painted for this middle class. The new aesthetic values brought by the middle class coincided with the revival of the Academy and the popularity of Salon, which led to a new era in the art world.

Artists in this period advocated life drawing, especially painting directly from outdoor scenes. Being inspired by the daily life of ordinary people and the changing environment of nature, artists expressed their personal experience and observation on canvas through different techniques and perspectives. The subject matters were familiar within a particular society or group of people. Thus, 19th century European paintings are a type of modern art which are the nearest to the life of contemporary people. These paintings are the most touching and the easiest type of art to understand: you feel thirsty simply by looking at a tray of fresh fruits in a still life painting, you are thrilled by the wavy sea depicted in a seascape painting, you admire the silent night in a landscape painting, and your memory of your childhood is triggered by the smile of an innocent child depicted in a figural painting.

Exhibition details:

Venue	Gallery by the Harbour	BaoQu Tang Modern Art Gallery
Date	5 March to 31 March 2008	25 March to 23 April 2008
Opening hours	11am to 9pm (everyday)	10am to 7pm (everyday)
Address	Shop 207, Level 2, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, TST	L153,L156-L159 InterContinental Hong Kong Hotel, TST
Fee	Free of charge	Free of charge
Enquiry	(852) 2118 8623	(852) 2723 1928

Opening Cocktail Reception for our VIP guests:

Date and time: from 6 pm to 8 pm on 5th March 2008
Venue: Gallery by the Harbour, Shop 207, Level 2, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, TST



Appendix: Details of the four themes with examples

(1) Genre

Paintings of daily life started as early as in the 17th century, however, this type of painting only gained its popularity and acceptance in the19th century after the Industrial Revolution (late 18th century to early 19th century). The increased trading activities, the growth of a rich merchant class stimulated artists to choose daily living activities as their sources of creativity. Thus, life of middle class elite and ordinary people, the market place, cows and sheep grazing became artists' subject matters.

Leonard Saurfelt (French, b. 1840-?) Market day Oil on canvas 46 x 71.5 cm Signed and dated 'L Saurfelt/ 1881'

(2) Landscape

Instead of being a secondary motif in painting, landscape became one of the main themes in 19th century European paintings. Artists travelled around and painted different scenes. Drawing directly from the scene was the fashion. Thus, each landscape painting is identifiable and represents the specificity of a particular place. For example, the British landscape paintings show the undulating plain of the south, the coastline and castle of the east whereas the Dutch ones show the waterways, city buildings, and its busy trading port.

Oene Romkes de Jongh (Dutch, 1812-1896) A snow covered street Oil on canvas 67 x 51 cm Signed 'O R de Jongh'

(3) Beauty

Industrial Revolution brought to the emergence of a new middle class. This also affected the aesthetic value of the society, especially on the depiction of woman. Fashionable ladies in splendid clothes and jewellery become the mainstream style for female portraiture. Alongside this main trend, there was also a vogue for loveliness which was 'simple and unvarnished', discernible amongst the country lasses of the peasantry and domestic life. Thus, alluring shepherdesses, milkmaids and housewives were widely depicted.

Karl Schellein (Austrian, 1820-1888) On the way to the ball Oil on canvas 60.5 x 45.5 cm Signed 'K. Schellein'

(4) Family

Together with the growth of the middle class, 'family' was politically and socially the dominant and core unit. Family life became the unprecedented subject matter for artists. Simultaneously, the growing wealth of the middle class led to a growing demand for paintings which were decorative in purpose. Still life, pets, livestock and flowers paintings flourished in the art market.

Willem Elisa Roelofs (Dutch, 1874-1940) Chrysanthemum Oil on canvas 70 x 100.5 cm Signed 'Willem E. Roelofs jr'

Historical Background (19th Century European Genre and Salon Oil Paintings)

European oil painting had experienced its most heterogeneous development in the 19th century. Different schools and styles emerged such as the French Academic, the Barbizon School, Neoclassicism, and Impressionism. Subject matters had also been extended from religion, legends, historical events and portraiture of imperial members to the daily lives of ordinary people and real landscape scenes of both countryside and cities. The booming sea trading business had triggered the attention to the seascape, harbour, trading port and different types of ships. Paintings of children, livestock, family and still life flourished. These developments could be explained by the political, economical and social changes in Europe during this period.

The Industrial Revolution (late 18th century – early 19th century) led to technological innovations and the growth of trade and commerce, which created a new and rich middle class all over Europe. This newly emerged group was especially influential in France while Paris became the centre of the European art world through its Ecole des Beaux Arts (English: the State school), later known as the Academie (English: Academy), and Salon exhibitions.

Salon was an annual art exhibition organized by the Academy on behalf of the State, which was the major buyer. The exhibition was held at State premises and sponsored by the State. Artists regarded the Salon as the main public arena where artists were able to establish reputation.

In early 19th century, although the Salon was open to all French artists, Academic artists were restricted in their choice of themes and subjects by the legacy of aristocratic notions of subject matters and styles. Thus, Neoclassicism and Romanticism were the main styles accepted by the Academy and Salon while legends, historical events and nudity were the main subjects. The 1830 Revolution in France made a radical shift of social context and started a new bourgeoisie regime. The increasingly wealthy middle class gained influence and power both politically and culturally. This class provided a large section of the heterogeneous audience for a third kind of art. This new development was reflected in the Salon in which previously rejected style, such as the Impressionistic brushwork, was accepted. The acceptance by Salon and the Academy of the impressionistic representation of a street corner in Paris painted by Edouard Leon Cortes (1882-1969) best exemplified this change.

Under these political and social changes, ‘family’ became the core unit in the society. Together with the down fall of the aristocracy and the church, the patronage of this middle class became the important source of income to artists. Paintings of family life, livestock and still life were highly demanded. The proud of the owner whose heifer won the championship was demonstrated by the portraiture of the heifer. Paintings of dogs and cats, which were metamorphosed as a human family, were a better choice of images hanging in the family’s house than the mysterious gods and goddesses. Paintings of still life such as flowers, fruits and ceramics were the best decorations in the house while showing off the family’s wealth.

The attention of artists to ordinary daily life created a new kind of perspective in painting. Instead of the traditional composition and indoor setting, artists preferred to paint outdoor to catch the changing moment of nature and daily human activities. Thus, each painting depicts a familiar place or face to those people at that time. For nowadays audience, these paintings are the invaluable visual records of the past.

Salon The Salon refers to the official art exhibitions sponsored by the French authorities. The term is derived from the Salon d’Apollon in the Lourve. Salon d'Apollon used to be one of the king's living rooms. Its name originated from Roman deity, Apollo, the god of Sun and Fine arts. In 1667, Louis XIV sponsored the first exhibition of works by members of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, which was held at this room. From 1737 the Salon was an annual event, and in 1748 selection by jury was introduced. Throughout the 18th century, the Salons were the only important exhibitions at which works of art could be shown. This made acceptance by the Salon jury crucial to an artist’s career.