China has long been a source of inspiration and fascination for European artists. In this study session, we will take a close look at Cooper Hewitt’s holdings of chinoiserie and export drawings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with a focus on works by Jean-Baptiste Pillement and George Chinnery.  Pillement’s playful drawings of architecture, flora, and figures highlight the fantastic and romantic visions of China that populated the European imagination.  In contrast to these fanciful representations, Chinnery’s sketchbook drawings—made during the artist’s travels to Macau—capture scenes and figures from daily life.  In addition to these works, we will explore chinoiserie drawings and designs by various European artists, as well as examples of Chinese export gouaches.

This study session will be led by Jamie Kwan, Assistant Curator of Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

This event is organized by The Drawing Foundation in partnership with Cooper Hewitt, and in association with Master Drawings New York 2025.

Image: Jean-Baptiste Pillement (1728-1808), Flowering Branches (detail), 1775-1800, Chalk on white laid paper. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council, 1911-28-4123. Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution.