Entrance to the Treasury, Canton, April 10, 1860

1860

Felice Beato

Associated Names
Felice Beato

Artist, British, born Venice, 1832 - 1909

The image shows an ornate gate with detailed carvings and a tiered, tiled roof. The view is from a position slightly lower than the gate, looking straight ahead. In the distance, a traditional building is visible. The color palette is sepia-toned with shades of brown and cream. Two people are near the gate—one standing and the other sitting. A path leads through the gate, with more structures and a lone figure visible in the distance, framed by trees on either side.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    albumen silver print

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Michael and Jane Wilson

  • Dimensions

    image: 29 × 24.3 cm (11 7/16 × 9 9/16 in.)
    mount: 30.1 × 25.1 cm (11 7/8 × 9 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2012.137.1.32

  • Volume Title

    The Second Opium War

Associated Artworks

See all 34 artworks
This image captures a sweeping view from an elevated position overlooking a landscape. On the left, several small, arch-roofed structures are arranged in rows, suggesting a camp or settlement. On the right, multiple irrigation channels or trenches meander through the flat terrain. The horizon is visible high in the composition, with flat lands merging into the sky. The color palette is muted sepia, giving the photo an aged or historical look. The sky is minimally visible at the top, highlighting the vast land and man-made patterns.

Interior of South Taku Fort Showing the Place of Landing, June 25, 1859

Felice Beato

1860

The Second Opium War

Felice Beato

1860

The image shows a historical scene of a military fortification from a slightly elevated perspective. The horizon is high in the image showing a barren area with earthen mounds and structures. Two large embankments dominate the composition, one on the left with domed shelters. Wooden logs and supplies lean against the slopes. More earthwork structures extend into the distance leading to a line of fortifications across the horizon. A muddy pathway runs diagonally towards the right, flanked by trenches or excavation lines. The color palette is muted with earth tones like browns and greys, giving an aged look.

Interior of the Second North Fort After Its Surrender on August 21, 1860, Wherein 2000 Prisoners Were Taken

Felice Beato

1860

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(sale, Christie's, South Kensington, 05 May 2000, lot 302, as The Second Opium War China, 1860); Michael and Jane Wilson, Wilson Centre for Photography, London, acquired 2000; gift to NGA, 2012.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

on verso of mount, by unknown hand, along top in black ink on paper label: Entrance to Treasury. Canton April 1860.; bottom center in graphite: 00:6693

Wikidata ID

Q64147579

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