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Lot 218
VISITING THE WORTHY AT THE WEI RIVER
Estimated Value:
1.500 € - 2.500 €
Schätzpreis:
3.000 €
Description:
China, 16th/ 17th c.40,2 x 283 cm
Handscroll, ink and colors on silk. On the frontispiece calligraphy in cursive script by Ye Gongchuo (1881-1968): “Visiting the Worthy at the Wei River. Respectfully inscribed by Ye Gongchuo”. One seal: “Xia’an”. Signature at the end of the painting: „In the jiachen year, the Hermit of Taishan (Taishan jushi) “. One seal of the artist. This signature was apparently added later to the painting, which seems to have been cut at this point. One collector’s seal at the beginning of the painting. Amidst dense rocks and trees painted in the blue and green landscape style of the Ming dynasty groups of soldiers and the imperial entourage are depicted with standards, flags and umbrellas. One soldier is shooting with his bow at a bird flying in the sky. Towards the end of the scroll a group of discussing scholars is seen, one of them pointing to the left, where the old worthy is depicted sitting in meditation pose on a rock by the stream while doing fishing. Behind him the envoy of the emperor or perhaps the emperor himself is standing and speaking to him. His face is lost because of the damage of the silk and he can’t be discerned clearly. The landscape elements and figures are painted quite finely in the characteristic style of the late Ming dynasty and seem to follow an older model.
From a private collection in southern Germany, largely acquired in Hong Kong and Jakarta in the 1960s/1970s
Ye Gongchuo, style name Xia’an, was from an old family of scholars and art connoisseurs in Fanyu in Guangdong province. He was an outstanding calligrapher, painter and art connoisseur who towards the end of his life donated his large art collection to museums in Peking, Shanghai, Guangdong, Suzhou and Chengdu. He was a personal friend of Mao Zedong who greatly admired his vast learning
