The Chinese Fishmonger

Theodore Wores, born San Francisco, CA 1859-died San Francisco, CA 1939 · 1881

Theodore Wores came to know San Francisco's Chinatown as a child, when he walked home from his father's hat business through the bustling Asian community. The Chinese Fishmonger was the first painting he completed after returning to America from Europe, and the dark tones, strong highlights, and expressive brushstrokes reflect his Munich training. Wores struggled to get Chinese people to pose for his paintings until one of his young assistants, a Chinese student named Ah Gai, accompanied him to translate his requests. In this image, Wores captured the glistening, slimy scales of the fish as they slid from the basket onto the tabletop, so that we can imagine the exotic smells and hubbub of Chinatown's street markets.