The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of November 1, 2026

A horizontally oriented sepia-toned photograph depicts a multistory building with tiered, upturned roofs atop a stone island. Centered, the structure features a narrow spire and wooden balconies. To the right, a large tree leans over the water. Both the building and tree cast a clear, symmetrical reflection onto the still surface below. Several small boats sit near the distant right shoreline, while the hazy background fades into a light gray.

The Island Pagoda

1873
photographer

John Thomson

(Scottish, 1837–1921)
publisher

Autotype Fine Art Company

(British, est. 1868)
China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Carbon print
Image: 22.2 x 28.8 cm (8 3/4 x 11 5/16 in.); Mount: 36.3 x 53.4 cm (14 5/16 x 21 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 2026.61
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

British and European photographers who first gained access to China starting in the 1850s and 1860s were only welcomed to the port cities where trading occurred.

Description

John Thomson established a photography studio in Hong Kong in 1868. Unlike most of his fellow European photographers, Thomson embarked on photographic excursions into inland China. He introduced its monuments and natural beauty to the world through prints and photographically illustrated books. These prints are from the book Foochow and the River Min, which was his aesthetic masterpiece.
  • -October 8, 2026
    Stephan Loewentheil, New York, NY, sold to The Cleveland Museum of Art
    October 8, 2026-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=The Island Pagoda|url=false|author=John Thomson, Autotype Fine Art Company|year=1873|access-date=01 November 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2026.61