River Landscape with a Seated Figure in Foreground

Depicting a river landscape, with a scholar seated on rocks in the foreground. In the background is a group of farm buildings with one figure and there are unidentifiable birds in the sky. Three seals, no labels or inscriptions. Mounted in a folder.

Historical period(s)
Yuan dynasty, 14th century
Medium
Ink on silk
Dimensions
H x W: 28.9 x 28.8 cm (11 3/8 x 11 5/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1905.264
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Album, Painting
Type

Album leaf

Keywords
China, farming, landscape, river, Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368)
Provenance

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408) [1]

To 1905
Bunkio Matsuki (1867-1940), Boston, to 1905 [2]

From 1905 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Bunkio Matsuki in 1905 [3]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

Notes:

[1] According to Curatorial Remark 9, A. Yonemura, exhibition label text, "Luminous Shadows," 1982: "The seal, "Tenzan" in the lower right-hand corner of this Chinese landscape painting identifies it as having once been in the collection of the third Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu (1358-1408). The prestigious collection of Chinese paintings and works of art belonging to the Ashikaga shoguns was begun in the mid-14th century...The Ashikaga Collection was not, however, a fixed entity. Additions were made as newly imported works became available, and paintings were occasionally transferred to vassals who shared the shoguns' interest in Chinese art. The Gyomotsu, the treasures from the Ashikaga collection, were dispersed upon the fall of the Ashikaga shoguns during the 16th century, but retained their prestige as they passed into the possession of later collectors, including tea ceremony devotees of the 17th century."

[2] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 504, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[3] See note 2.

[4] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu 1358-1408
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
Bunkio Matsuki (C.L. Freer source) 1867-1940

Description

Depicting a river landscape, with a scholar seated on rocks in the foreground. In the background is a group of farm buildings with one figure and there are unidentifiable birds in the sky. Three seals, no labels or inscriptions. Mounted in a folder.

Marking(s)

Three seals.

Published References
  • Frank Feltens, Yasuhiro Sato. "國華 〈１５０７号〉." Kokka, No. 1507. No. 1507 Tokyo, Japan, May 2021. pg. 51, fig. 2.
  • James Cahill. Chinese Album Leaves in the Freer Gallery of Art. Washington and Japan, 1961-1962. p. 40, pl. 24.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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