Sir Rutherford Alcock (British, 1809-1897) A Panoramic view of Fuzhou sepia wash over pencil, pen and ink on paper 24 x 33.5cm Footnote: Provenance: Martyn Gregory Gallery, from whom acquired in 1996 Exhibited: London, Martyn Gregory, 'The China Trade', 1996, cat. 69, no. 13 Rutherford Alcock developed an interest in the arts at an early age and found time to practise in the studio of the sculptor, Sir Francis Chantrey, whilst pursuing his medical studies. In 1832-8 he served in the Peninsular Campaign as a medical officer in the Anglo-Portuguese force. Whilst in Spain, he contracted a rheumatic fever which left his hands partially paralysed. He never recovered the use of his thumbs which led him to give up his career as a surgeon in favour of that of a diplomat. The present drawing is a unique first-hand record of Fuzhou. Alcock was one of the first British Consuls to be sent out to China under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking (1842). In 1845, he took up the difficult post of Consul at Fuzhou - a 'treaty port' at which for the first few years almost no foreign trade was conducted, apart from the offshore commerce of opium. In autumn 1846, he sailed aboard HMS Sapphire to Shanghai where he remained as Consul for ten years. He later became Minister Plenipotentiary to Japan. In 1865, he was posted to Peking, succeeding Sir Frederick Bruce as Minister to China.