Kong Meng's doorway
Primary Artist
John Shirlow (1869–1936)
Title
Date made
1921 (dated)
Place made
Naam / Melbourne, Victoria, Australia View on map Close map
Category
Print type
intaglio
Technique
etching and foul biting, printed in brown ink with plate-tone, from one copper plate
Matrix size
23.8 x 10.0 cm (plate-mark)
Support
thin cream laid 'Whatman' paper
Support size
29.5 x 15.0 cm (sheet)
Manufacturers mark
watermark: 'J WHATMAN'
State
published state
Impression
17/50
Edition information
edition of 50
Inscriptions or device by artist or designated agent
Signed lower right below plate-mark in black pencil, 'John Shirlow'.
not dated.
inscribed lower left below plate-mark in black pencil, '17/50'
Subject description
Kong Meng , was a wealthy Chinese Australian who lived in Melbourne. The view is of the doorway to his premises, 'Kong Meng Building' in Little Bourke Street in Melbourne's Chinatown.
Collection
National Gallery of Australia
IRN
59714
Accession number
79.1877
Accession method
Curator's allowance
Meeting
Meeting 1, 1979/80 (1979-08-13)
Provenance
Purchased by the Australian National Gallery, from Thirty Victoria Street [gallery], Sydney, August 1979; Part of a group of 36 prints by various Australian artists.
Credit line
Purchased 1979
Subject category
Australia, Art style: Painter-etchers 1860s-1938
Country of context
Australia
Creators
Shirlow, John. | (1869–1936) Australian | Male | artist
Last Updated
02 Sep 2026