Haw Sing Kew Gouache Painting

Unknown artist

Scroll of Great Grandfather – My Great Grandfather (Haw Sing Kew) was the first of my ancestors to come to America in 1852. He lived from 1822 to 1914. His fifth wife was my Great Grandmother; she was Chinese and was born in Japan. The portrait was made by a traveling artist who would visit villages looking for a wealthy patron wanting their likeness to be recorded. The bulk of the painting was already done prior to entering the village. Only the face of the individual would be drawn. It was accurate to the likeness of the patron. This was a time when photography was not yet available to everyone. My Uncle John had to return to China four times to retrieve this. He was told that it was a “national treasure,” and it would not be easy to take it to America.