NIGEL LOVETT (BRITISH, 1900-198?)
China Town, Shop House, Singapore
initialled 'NL' (lower left)
watercolour
24 x 33.5 cm. (9 1/2 x 13 1/8 in.)
Executed 1931.
(unframed)

Provenance
Private Collection of the artist, left to the family by descent

Nigel Lovett, the son of the late Brigadier General Alfred Crowdy Lovett, was an officer in The Gloucestershire Regiment. Like his father, he was also a skilled painter, serving in various locations, including Continental Europe, Egypt, and Singapore.

The shop houses shown in this example are distinctive and historic structures that reflect Singapore's architectural heritage, combining traditional and colonial design elements. Emerging in the early 19th century, these buildings functioned as both residences and commercial spaces. The concept was introduced by Stamford Raffles, but with the passage of the Land Acquisition Act for urban development in the early 1900s, many owners were impacted. As a result, numerous historic shop houses, including the one featured here, were demolished to make way for high-density developments or government buildings.