Zhou QILIANG (1863–?)

(周其亮)

Chinese artist active during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican era

“ Street Vendors”

Album of 12 ink-and-color illustrations on paper,

Seal of the painter Zhou Qiliang and the address of his studio in Beijing

Provenance:

- Given as a Christmas gift in 1936,

- Private collection of a bookseller,

- Private collection,

A beautiful album by the Chinese painter Zhou Qiliang depicting various small street trades.

Each page depicts a specific street vendor or artisan who roamed the streets of Beijing in the late 19th century, such as water carriers or food vendors. To cater to the foreign market of the time, Zhou Qiliang’s plates very often feature handwritten captions in Chinese characters and sometimes in English, accompanied by the artist’s red seal.

These albums are now valuable historical and anthropological documents that are regularly sought after at Asian art auctions.

The artist Zhou Qiliang was the son of Zhou Peichun (周培春), a highly renowned Beijing-based painter who produced works for export. Like his father, he specialized in folk-style paintings intended largely for Westerners and expatriates. His work documents with remarkable precision the daily life, street culture, traditional costumes, and shop signs of Beijing at that time.

This album can be paired with the second album currently on sale, which features other street trades.

Album dimensions: 16 x 19.5 cm.14-page album with an orange cover, including 12 pages of illustrations

For more information, please contact us.