The Chinese Fishmonger

Theodore Wores, The Chinese Fishmonger, 1881, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson, 1972.153
Copied Theodore Wores, The Chinese Fishmonger, 1881, oil on canvas, 34 3⁄4 x 46 1⁄8 in. (88.3 x 117.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson, 1972.153
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
The Chinese Fishmonger
Artist
Date
1881
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
34 3⁄4 x 46 1⁄8 in. (88.3 x 117.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Object — game — fish
  • Architecture Interior — commercial — market
  • Figure male
  • Chinese
  • Occupation — vendor — fishmonger
  • Object — other — basket
Object Number
1972.153
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1972.153

Artwork Description

Theodore Wores came to know San Francisco's Chinatown as a child, when he walked home from his father's hat business through the bustling Asian community. The Chinese Fishmonger was the first painting he completed after returning to America from Europe, and the dark tones, strong highlights, and expressive brushstrokes reflect his Munich training. Wores struggled to get Chinese people to pose for his paintings until one of his young assistants, a Chinese student named Ah Gai, accompanied him to translate his requests. In this image, Wores captured the glistening, slimy scales of the fish as they slid from the basket onto the tabletop, so that we can imagine the exotic smells and hubbub of Chinatown's street markets.