Spoilum Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Spoilum Art Value Price Guide

Jul. 08, 2026
Spoilum, attr. - Portrait of a Man in a Brown Coat
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
Spoilum (Guan Zuolin) (Chinese/Canton, act. 1770-1805), attributed, Portrait of a Man in a Brown Coat. Spoilum, who is considered the most significant Chinese portrait artist of the latter years of the 18th century, is known for his portraits of American and British ship captains in Canton. The characteristic bust-length oval format, shows the sitter in his brown jacket. Oil on canvas on wood panel, fixed to panel, in original carved frame. Canvas: H 6-1/2 in. W 5 in. Frame: H 8-1/8 in. W 6-1/2 in.
New England Auctions
Jul. 08, 2026
Spoilum, attr. - Portrait of a Man in a Red Coat
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
Spoilum (Guan Zuolin) (Chinese/Canton, act. 1770-1805), attributed, Portrait of a Man in a Red Coat (sitter unidentified). Spoilum, who is considered the most significant Chinese portrait artist of the latter years of the 18th century, is known for his portraits of American and British ship captains in Canton. The characteristic bust-length oval format, shows the sitter in his red jacket. Oil on canvas mounted to wood panel, in original carved and gilt frame. Canvas: H 6-1/2 in. W 5 in. Frame: H 8 in. W 6-3/8 in.
New England Auctions
Jul. 08, 2026
Spoilum, attr. - Portrait of a Man in a Blue Coat
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
Spoilum (Guan Zuolin) (Chinese/Canton, act. 1770-1805), attributed, Portrait of a Man in a Blue Coat (sitter unidentified). Spoilum, who is considered the most significant Chinese portrait artist of the latter years of the 18th century, is known for his portraits of American and British ship captains in Canton. The characteristic bust-length oval format, shows the sitter in his blue jacket. Oil on canvas on wood panel, fixed to panel, in original carved frame. Canvas: H 6-5/8 in. W 5 in. Frame: H 7-5/8 in. W 6-1/4 in.
New England Auctions
May. 15, 2025
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1774-1805) Portrait of Captain Mumford
Est: £10,000 - £15,000
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1774-1805) Portrait of Captain Mumford Oil on canvas, with an early 20th century label attached on the verso identifying the sitter as 'Capt. Mumford', original Chinese export frame. 59.7cm (23 1/2in) high x 45.7cm (18in) wide.
Bonhams
May. 15, 2025
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of an East India Company officer
Est: £8,000 - £12,000
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of an East India Company officer Oil on canvas, original Chinese frame. 50.8cm (20in) high x 40.7cm (16in) wide.
Bonhams
May. 15, 2025
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of Captain John Corner of the East Indiaman Carnatic
Est: £10,000 - £15,000
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of Captain John Corner of the East Indiaman Carnatic Reverse painting in oil and gold paint on glass, a label attached to the old backboard, handwritten in ink, reads 'This painting on glass, done in China, is the portrait of John Corner Esq., Captain of his own ship The Carnatic. He was the eldest son of William Corner Esq. And Ruth Corner, London. He married the daughter and heiress of W. House, but died without children. He adopted his wife's sister's son, afterwards the Revd. Frank Rivers of the Church of Knightsbridge, London. This portrait was taken more than a hundred years ago. 1879', original wood frame. 26.7cm (10 1/2in) high x 20.3cm (8in) wide.
Bonhams
May. 15, 2025
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of a man in a dark blue coat
Est: £15,000 - £20,000
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of a man in a dark blue coat Oil on canvas, framed. 42.5cm (16 3/4in) high x 35.6cm (14in) wide.
Bonhams
May. 15, 2025
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of a young man
Est: £15,000 - £20,000
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of a young man Oil on canvas, framed. 44cm (17 1/4in) high x 36cm (14in) wide.
Bonhams
May. 15, 2025
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of William Read of Philadelphia
Est: £25,000 - £30,000
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of William Read of Philadelphia Oil on canvas, framed. 70cm (24in) high x 51cm (20in) wide.
Bonhams
May. 15, 2025
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of a Hong Merchant of Canton
Est: £30,000 - £50,000
SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) Portrait of a Hong Merchant of Canton Oil on canvas, framed. 70cm (27 1/2in) high x 52cm (20 1/2in) wide.
Bonhams
Mar. 05, 2025
Spoilum (Guan Zuolin) (fl. 1774-1805)- Rare China Trade Portrait of an East India Company Sea Captain
Est: $10,000 - $20,000
Spoilum (Guan Zuolin) (fl. 1774-1805), Canton, ca. 1790. Rare China Trade Portrait of an East India Company Sea Captain. A classic portrait by Spoilum, who is considered the most significant Chinese portrait artist of the latter years of the 18th century, known for his portraits of American and British ship captains in Canton. The characteristic bust-length oval format, shows the captain in his blue jacket with gold buttons; with a lighter background to the left side of the sitter’s face. Oil and gold pigment on canvas. Original stretchers and Chinese gilt-carved frame. H 17-1/4 in. W 13-3/4 in. Provenance: with Martyn Gregory, London. Published: Martyn Gregory Catalogue, London, 1999. Literature; C.L. Crossman, The Decorative Arts of the China Trade, 1991, pps. 35-53. Crossman illustrates several closely related portraits, especially the portrait of a member of the East India Company, Plate 10, page 45. Condition: Minor imperfections. Link to Hi-Res Images: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/7uopst9wv4l5kp7dad0q9/AMv0d-Z8CJ6coebpVlmO3mo?rlkey=vu2o5fmqfnw4523rdm1ukgw1r&st=5mmu911b&dl=0
New England Auctions
Nov. 17, 2022
Spoilum (attrib.), oil on canvas
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Attributed to Spoilum (Guan Zuolin), (Chinese, active 1765-1805), Portrait of an Officer of the East India Company, unsigned, gallery label verso, 17.25"h x 13.75"w (canvas), 19"h x 15"w (frame)
Millea Bros Ltd
Nov. 05, 2020
Spoilum (fl.c.1774-c.1805) Portrait of George Wilson, East India Comp
Est: £20,000 - £30,000
Spoilum (fl.c.1774-c.1805) Portrait of George Wilson, East India Company, bust length with inscription 'George Wilson / Grandfather's Uncle / Doctor in E. India Coy. / retired to Estate at / Gullen Lodge, Yorks. / (Brought up my Grand - / father' on an old label attached to the backing paper oil on canvas oval 17 1/2 x 14 3/4 in. (44.4 x 37.4cm.) in the artist's original frame ,
Christie's
Jul. 28, 2018
Spoilum (Guan Zuolin) (Chinese/Guangzhou, active 1770-1810), "Portrait of a Captain of the British East Indies Company"
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
Spoilum (Guan Zuolin) (Chinese/Guangzhou, active 1770-1810) "Portrait of a Captain of the British East Indies Company" oil on canvas unsigned, a "Vose Galleries/Boston, Massachusetts" label en verso. Framed. 17-1/2" x 14", framed 23-1/2" x 20-1/4" Provenance: Estate of Dr. Carroll Ball, Jackson, Mississippi. Notes: The Cantonese artist Guan Zuolin, colloquially known as Spoilum, was one of the first Chinese artists to work in oil on canvas as opposed to the more usual inks and colors on paper or silk. A resident of the busy port city of Guangzhou, the only Chinese city to allow trade between Chinese and Westerners, Spoilum taught himself Western art techniques by copying British paintings and prints. He specialized in portraits of British and American naval officers and prosperous local merchants, though he was also known to produce the souvenir landscapes popular with the Western visitors to the city. His portraits, as evidenced by the one of an unidentified officer presented here, are almost always in ¾ length, against a vague background, the sitter gazing directly at the viewer, rendered in a minimal palette of black and flesh-tones with little interplay of light and shadow - all of which serve to emphasize the features of the sitter. Works by Spoilum are conserved in numerous maritime museums including the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
New Orleans Auction Galleries
Jan. 20, 2016
GUAN ZUOLIN KNOWN AS SPOILUM (ACTIVE 1770-1805) | HONG MERCHANT
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
oil on canvas
Sotheby's
Aug. 16, 2009
SPOILUM (CHINESE, ACT. 1765-1805). PORTRAIT
Est: $5,000 - $10,000
SPOILUM (CHINESE, ACT. 1765-1805). PORTRAIT MINIATURE OF CAPTAIN THOMAS MORTIMER OF THE HONORABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY, CIRCA 1800. Mortimer (1771-1824) was captain of the East Indiaman "Monarch" sailing to Madras and St. Helena in 1801-02 and the "General Stuart" off the coast of Madiera in 1803-04. He is buried at St. Mary's Church, Eastbourne, East Sussex. The sitter with remnants of gilding on his coat buttons. Watercolor on ivory, 3 1/2x 2 3/4inches, sight. In an English frame with oval brass bezel, japanned mat, and gilt composition frame. The reverse inscribed "Captain Thomas Mortimer/ H.E.I.C.N./ Taken in China 1800." Literature: Chinese export porcelain with the arms of Mortimer, are illustrarted and discussed in David Sanctuary Howard, "Chinese Armorial Porcelain, Vol. II, pp. 477, 514, T3 and U2.
Bourgeault-Horan Antiquarians