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One of very few extant watercolours of an urban scene by Abdullah Ariff, this is a rare piece as it departs from the artist’s usual kampung scenery and saw the artist depicting detailed figures in a Chinese market. The painting was a gift to Dr. Lester ‘Pop’ Proebstel, a Methodist educational missionary to Malaysia and principal of the Anglo-Chinese Continuation School in Ipoh (1926-31) and Anglo Chinese School Penang (later known as Methodist Boys School) in the late 1930s.

Abdullah was teaching at the Anglo-Chinese School for six years before he set up Ariff Advertising in 1955. That year, Abdullah was appointed Penang city councillor for Jelutong, a post he held until 1957. He also had the rare honour of being the first and only Malaysian artist so far to have a street in Air Itam, Penang named after him.