General view of the Bund (painting) - 1862

Title : General view of the Bund (painting) - 1862

Topic : Virtual Shanghai

Location : Shanghai: International Settlement

Date (start) : 1862

Estimated dates : 1862

Nature : Painting

Support image : Paper

Information data : This view of the Bund at dawn takes in an even wider panorama of the Bund, from Suzhou Creek north of the British consular compound to well into the French concession south of the Bund. From the British Consulate to Park Lane there are no significant departures from the 1857 painting. The P&O flag still flies next to Augustine Heard and Co. (who fly the Russian flag and there has no been any major building. On the southwest corner of Nanking Road, however, the new two-storey Central Hotel now stands next to the Oriental Bank building. South of the Customs House, which occupies the center of this painting, the Russell compound is richly portrayed with much attention being paid to the balconies and gateways that seem to set this particular company architecturally from the rest of the Bund. Three lots south of Russell and Co. the first building of the Shanghai Club can be seen on the penultimate lot before the end of the International Settlement. The foreground of the painting depicts a numerous and diversified flotilla of all shapes and sizes. While most of the vessels are still sail-driven, there are three smokestacks visible on one larger ship and two smaller tenders. The international nature of the ships shown in this painting, shown by Russian, British, and French merchant ensigns, reflect the diverse nationalities found on the Bund. While the activity on the river itself exaggerates the commercial nature of Shanghai, the scows and barges along the Bund are a more realistic reflection of mercantile activity in the Settlement. To access the full text, click on the link below.

URL :
http://virtualshanghai.net/Appendices.php?ID=3