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Lot Essay
George Charles D'Aguilar, appointed Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong in 1843, was a career soldier, joining the army in 1799 as an ensign in the 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment of Foot, He served in the East Indies and India, in Europe and the Mediterranean, before going on half pay in 1817. He commanded the troops in China, and went to Hong Kong to take command of the division left there on its annexation, and of the troops at Chusan (Zhoushan) and Amoy (Xiamen).
The Chinese views, which date to D'Aguilar's Chinese years from 1843-1847, include sketches of junks, Tanka boats and other rivercraft, Chinese tradesmen and other figures, Hong Kong and Macao scenery. The Middle-Eastern views include ‘The Temple of Dendera on the Nile’, ‘Temple of Ombos on the Nile’, the Colossi of Memnon near Thebes, and ‘Phyle on the Nile’. European scenery includes views taken at Interlaken, the Jungfrau, ‘near Toledo [Spain]’, Brighton and Wales. His watercolours show the influence of George Chinnery at Macao and a letter in the collection of the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) published by Robin Hutcheon in 1972 acknowledges the friendship between the elderly artist and the Governor General, both of whom shared a Dublin heritage: 'I beg to have the opportunity of conveying to Genl. D'Aguilar my high respects, as well as to Mrs D'Aguilar on your arrival home. To your Brother I will ask the Favour of presenting him with my very kind respects and regards! I shall not forget, you may be assured the Honour he did me while in China of very often coming to see me, ... nor the friendly conversations we held on Art in the atelier - In his travels in Europe I hope he has continued to cultivate his talent for the pencil and for modelling which held out so much promise ...' (R. Hutcheon, Chinnery the man and the legend, Hong Kong, 1972, p.160)
The Chinese views, which date to D'Aguilar's Chinese years from 1843-1847, include sketches of junks, Tanka boats and other rivercraft, Chinese tradesmen and other figures, Hong Kong and Macao scenery. The Middle-Eastern views include ‘The Temple of Dendera on the Nile’, ‘Temple of Ombos on the Nile’, the Colossi of Memnon near Thebes, and ‘Phyle on the Nile’. European scenery includes views taken at Interlaken, the Jungfrau, ‘near Toledo [Spain]’, Brighton and Wales. His watercolours show the influence of George Chinnery at Macao and a letter in the collection of the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) published by Robin Hutcheon in 1972 acknowledges the friendship between the elderly artist and the Governor General, both of whom shared a Dublin heritage: 'I beg to have the opportunity of conveying to Genl. D'Aguilar my high respects, as well as to Mrs D'Aguilar on your arrival home. To your Brother I will ask the Favour of presenting him with my very kind respects and regards! I shall not forget, you may be assured the Honour he did me while in China of very often coming to see me, ... nor the friendly conversations we held on Art in the atelier - In his travels in Europe I hope he has continued to cultivate his talent for the pencil and for modelling which held out so much promise ...' (R. Hutcheon, Chinnery the man and the legend, Hong Kong, 1972, p.160)