Opium

1861 · 152570 — Tientsin: 1861. Peace reigns in Tianjin after the bloody taking of the Taku Forts Highly engaging album the core of which comprises 26 sketches of Tientsin Tianjin in 1861 sketched by Ensign Francis Sadleir Brereton the year following the conclusion of the Second Opium War; with additional views of Singapore and Java. A unique visual record of Qing dynasty Tianjin as seen through the eyes of a young British army officer. Brereton 1838-1911 was commissioned ensign in the Royal North Gloucestershire Militia in November 1855 transferring to the 2nd Battalion 60th Rifles in December of the same year. Even among sharpshooters he was clearly a crack shot serving as inspector of musketry and winning both the Ladies' Purse and Challenge Prize. In 1857 he sailed with his battalion to South Africa. Following service in India during the Rebellion and in China during the Second Opium War he resigned his commission in 1865. He afterwards practised as an architect with his father-in-law Frederick Beeston then independently as an architect and surveyor. In 1889 he was elected to serve on the first London County Council. During the 18th century drawing masters were established at the military training centres at Woolwich Chatham High Wycombe and Addiscombe with the aim of instructing officer cadets in drawing and watercolour. Although there is no record of Brereton having studied in this way his sketchbook comprises an accomplished series of views very much in the tradition of the soldier-artist. In light of his subsequent career his interest in architectural detail is evident in a number of highly worked and painstaking sketches of temples and cityscapes occasionally employing dense hachures and some interesting compositional framing. To the modern eye they have a haunted quality reminiscent of the deserted vistas of Giorgio de Chirico. Views are in the main captioned on verso some at lower right of image all of Tientsin each dated 1861 and initialled unless otherwise noted: View of traditional roundhouses in a landscape "Head Quarters Square 2/60th Royal Rifles" "South West angle Tien Tsin Wall" "Mahomedan Temple" "Bell Temple" "Treaty Joss House" "Pallisir's Grave" Lieut. John R. Palliser 2. Battalion 1st Royal Foot died of fever after taking part in the capture of the Taku Forts "Old Castle near Tien Tsin" View of wall and fort View of fortified tower Three temples "South Forts" double-sheet panorama "Angles of Treaty Joss House" "Treaty Joss House" "Tien Tsin from West Gate" "West Gate from the Wall" "Tien Tsin from East Gate" "Tien Tsin from North Gate" "North Gate Tien Tsin from street" "Tien Tsin from South Gate" "English burial ground & Treaty Joss House from South Gate" "Chinese Graves French Side Tien Tsin" "South Forts Tien Tsin" "South Taku Fort" "2nd North Taku Fort" "Chinamans Houses French Side Tien Tsin" 59th Regiment graveyard "Singapore" seascape "Singapore Nov. 16 1861" double-sheet panorama of the coastline showing junks and ships Java double-sheet panorama with shipping in the foreground View of palm trees in a mountainous landscape Plus another 26 views and sketches 6 double-sheet executed later with appealing panoramas in the west of Scotland Dunoon Tarbert Dumbarton Bowling and elsewhere. The album is accompanied by a typed letter by the popular boys author Lt.-Col. F. S. Brereton 1872-1957 reading in full: "These sketches were made by my father Ensign Frank Sadleir Brereton 2nd Battn. 60th Rifles when on service with his regiment in China 1861. The first action in which he was engaged was I believe an attack on the Taku Forts when he and a small command went over the side and waded ashore" undated personal stationery. Albums such as this are certainly not common on the open market and this is a particularly attractive exemplar. Landscape octavo 105 x 182 mm. Contemporary dark red roan sketchbook by Henry Penny metal clasp stamped with his name label to front pocket gilt patterned endpapers marbled edges; some 60 leaves in all 26 with views of Tientsin and environs plus blanks one of two leaves toward the end excised. Housed in a burgundy cloth flat-back box by the Chelsea Bindery. Loss of leather at foot of spine minor scuffing expected rubbing and signs of handling otherwise remarkably well preserved. hardcover