Auguste Borget (1808-1877)

Born in Issoudun, France in 1808, Auguste Borget was schooled in nearby Bourges. At age 21, he went to Paris where he became a close friend of Honore Balzac. In 1836, he began an around-the world voyage. After spending time in South America, Borget arrived in Hong Kong/Macao in August 1838, first having traveled along the Kwangtung and Fuken coast. He went to Canton in September 1838 and stayed in the region for 10 months. Contemporary records show that he met George Chinnery, the great English artist, who commented on his talent. They went on sketching trips together.

In July 1839 he visited Manila, and in August 1939 he sailed for India via Singapore and the Straits of Malacca, arriving in Calcutta. In 1840 he traveled widely in India, returning to Paris in the summer of 1840. His fine sketches and watercolors from China were the basis for his most famous publication; China and The Chinese, published in 1842. His book "La Chine ouverte" was illustrated with fine woodcut engravings. A major Salon of his original works, including watercolors and boldly executed oil paintings was held in Paris in 1843. Tragically, a fire destroyed the majority of the paintings. As a result, his original works are rare.

Auguste Borget is represented in the Collections of Musee de la Roche (Issoudun), Musee Bertrand, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Macao Museum of Art, The National Museum of Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank and the Jardine Matheson Corporation.

Artist Bio Index:

18th & 19th C. Artists:				Hiroshige Chikanobu Eisen Eizan Gakutei Hirosada Hiroshige II Hokusai Kunichika Kunisada Kuniyoshi Kyosai (Gyosai) Shunsho Toyokuni I Toyokuni III Yoshitoshi
20th C. Artists:				Bertha Lum Charles Bartlett Chiura Obata Clifton Karhu Cyrus Leroy Baldridge Elizabeth Keith Hajime Namiki Haku Maki Hashiguchi Goyo Helen Hyde Hiroshi Yoshida Ito Shinsui Joichi Hoshi Katsunori Hamanishi Kawase Hasui Kawase Hasui   (Posthumous) Kiyoshi Saito Koshiro Onchi Ohara Shoson   (Koson) Paul Jacoulet Ryohei Tanaka Sadao Watanabe Shigeki Kuroda Shinichi Nakazawa Shiro Kasamatsu Yamamoto Shoun Sugiura Tadashi Nakayama Takahashi Hiroaki   (Shotei) Toko Shinoda Tomoo Inagaki Toraji Ishikawa Torii Kotondo Toshi Yoshida Tsuchiya Koitsu Tsuruya Kokei Umetaro Azechi Unichi Hiratsuka Yoshitoshi Mori Yuji Hiratsuka
China Trade:				Auguste Borget Chinese School Edward Hildebrandt Thomas Allom William Alexander
Modern Originals:				Carol Jessen
Natural History:				J. James Audubon Mark Catesby John Gould
Antique Maps:				Conrad Lotter Gilles Robert Gerard de Jode Henricus Hondius Jan Huygen John Tallis Matthaeus Seutter Nicolas Sanson

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