Signed Gu Jianlong (1606 - n. 1687): Gathering of the Immortals

Description:

China, 18th/19th c.
127,8 x 67,8 cm
Ink and colours on paper, mounted as a hanging scroll. Signed: "On the fifteenth day of the third month in the jiachen year (1664) respectfully painted by Yunchen Gu Jianlong ". Two seals: "Gu Jianlong yin", "Yunchen". At the bottom right a collector's seal of the Gu family of Wumen. A complex scene from Daoist mythology is depicted: the visit of the Eight Immortals to the birthday celebration of Xiwangmu. The composition divides the painting into two sections: In the upper section, the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) floats in a phoenix cart, surrounded by her female servants. At the top left, Shoulao, the god of longevity, rides on a crane; the Eight Immortals, recognisable by their characteristic attributes, are gathered in the lower section. Their postures express respect and joy as they observe and honour the arrival of the Xiwangmu.
South German private collection, by repute acquired in the 1970s
Ju Jianlong, courtesy name Yunchen, came from Taicang in Jiangsu. In the early Kangxi period, he served at the imperial court together with Gu Ming. He was a master of depicting figures and historical events and painted portraits of Qing emperors and members of the imperial family - Traces of age, creases, minor age dam.