Signed Wang Youxue (active 1738 - after 1774)

Description:

China, 18th/ 19th ct,
Je 24,7 x 32 cm
Tiger, Goats and Ladies. Four Album leaves in Passepartouts, ink and colors on paper. One leaf with signature by the artist: “Respectfully painted by Wang Youxue.” One seal of the artist: „Youxue”. Two collectors’ seals: “bingxu …”, “Once viewed by Meigu” (Meigu ceng guan). There are at least four different people with the style name Meigu, mostly in the Qing dynasty. 1) Tiger lying under a red leaved tree (with signature). 2) Landscape after Ni Zan (1301-1374). 3) Three Goats. 4) Two ladies sitting on banana leaves enjoying Calligraphy.
Old Berlin private collection, assembled prior 2007
Wang Youxue was a court painter in the Qianlong period. In 1738 he studied oil painting with the Italian court painter Castiglione (1688-1766). In 1774 he received the order to do the wall paintings in the Juanqinzhai theater in the Qianlong garden in the naturalistic style of Castiglione. These album leaves are painted very fine and especially the goats are done in a quite naturalistic manner
Traces of age, partly with minor damages due to age