Pine in Crummock Water

The Silent Traveller books were Chiang’s most significant commercial and artistic achievement. He had been a magistrate in his native China and came to Britain with no directly transferable profession. He turned his hand to painting and writing as a means of survival, as well as of self expression. Chiang was educated and well versed in the practical and intellectual traditions of Chinese painting. He drew heavily on this knowledge when he painted British scenes and he often treated his British subjects in a recognisably Chinese manner. His Silent Traveller books are a combination of sensitively observed illustrations, eloquent prose and perceptive humour. They present a unique account of Britain.