Lady Staunton with her son George Thomas Staunton and a Chinese Servant
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Material Information

Title:
Lady Staunton with her son George Thomas Staunton and a Chinese Servant
Series Title:
Objects of instruction : treasures of SOAS
Creator:
Hoppner, John, 1758-1810 ( Painter )
Donor:
HSBC
Publication Date:
Materials:
Oil on canvas ( medium )
Measurements:
163.5 x 145.5 cm in

Notes

Scope and Content:
This portrait was painted on his return; the 'Chinese servant' was a youth hired to continue George's education. George Thomas Staunton worked in Canton from 1799 to 1817, and played a prominent role in Lord Amherst's embassy of 1816. On returning to England he became an MP, and a co-founder of the Royal Asiatic Society. His collection of Chinese books is held in the SOAS Library. John Hoppner was a leading society portrait painter of his day. (Text by Tom Tomlinson, from the exhibition catalogue: Objects of instruction : treasures of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Anna Contadini, Editor. London : SOAS, University of London, 2007.) The Chinese servant in the background was identified as A Hiue: he came from Beijing where he was recruited during the Macartney embassy, and as a language exchange for Staunton in England, visited Salisbury and made a Chinese kite in a Wiltshire village. (Information provided by courtesy of Henrietta Harrison, Professor of Modern Chinese Studies, University of Oxford China Centre, 2020)
Donation:
On permanent loan from HSBC.
Biographical:
George Thomas Staunton (1781-1859) was taken to China by his father, George Leonard Staunton, who acted as Secretary to Lord Macartney's embassy to Beijing in 1792. On the voyage George Thomas began to learn Chinese from the two interpreters accompanying the expedition. (Text by Tom Tomlinson, from the exhibition catalogue: Objects of instruction : treasures of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Anna Contadini, Editor. London : SOAS, University of London, 2007.)
Original Version:
Oil on canvas
Funding:
The 'Objects of instruction : the treasures of SOAS' exhibition was funded through a generous gift from the Foyle Foundation and with the support of the Arts & Humanities Research Council.
Donation:
VIAF (name authority) : Hoppner, John, 1758-1810 : 5199880
Citation/Reference:
Cited in: Objects of instruction : treasures of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Anna Contadini, Editor. London : SOAS, University of London, 2007. Listed as object number 104.

Record Information

Source Institution:
SOAS, University of London
Holding Location:
Brunei Gallery
Rights Management:
All applicable rights reserved by the source institution and holding location.