Hand Colored Engraving by T. Allom: The European Factories At Canton

Flags flutter above crowded boats nose to tail along a narrow wharf

This hand colored engraving is from London, England, United Kingdom, and is dated 1843. It is ink on paper. Orientalism, a genre of art about the East, is generally traced to Napoleon's 1798 invasion of Egypt, which encouraged scholars and artists to visit and document North Africa and the Middle East. Within its margins, a hand-colored waterfront with beamed buildings at left, boats moored close together, and bright flags and pennants flying from the masts. A few figures work among baskets in the foreground. Captions print below. It is 10.5 inches wide and 7.8 high.

A tight squeeze for the boats, but nobody complains.