The Chinese Fishmonger
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “The Chinese Fishmonger” now? Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 6A, Washington, D.C. Yes, on view now. Checked September 25, 2026.
Washington, D.C., United States
RoomLuce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 6A
Closed· opens tomorrow at 11:30 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
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.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 1972.153
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Image: Smithsonian American Art Museum — CC0
![The Market at Dolo [lower left], Canaletto, c. 1735/1746](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/d0ff9ba9-ca07-4ffc-bad1-26204244b3e6/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
![The Market on the Molo [upper left], Canaletto, c. 1735/1746](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/620abda7-e581-4b67-9b07-560009dc9ab3/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
