Scholars Watching Waves

A well-executed landscape painting of two scholars in a mountain setting gazing at tumultuous waves (a tidal bore?). Pine trees form a predominate motif in the foreground. [Also see Comment field, comment #1]

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Historical period(s)
Qing dynasty, late 17th-early 18th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
H x W (image): 128.7 Ɨ 61.3 cm (50 11/16 Ɨ 24 1/8 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Katharine Graham
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1996.31
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Hanging scroll (mounted on panel)

Keywords
China, landscape, mountain, pine tree, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), scholar, wave
Provenance

To 1970
Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970). [1]

From 1970 to 1996
Katharine Graham (1917-2001), Washington DC by descent from her mother, Agnes E. Meyer. [2]

From 1996
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Katharine Graham, Washington, DC [3]

Notes:

[1] Donor acquired painting through the estate of her mother, Mrs. Agnes Meyer. See November 20, 1996 dated folder sheet note, object file, Collections Management Office.

[2] See note 1.

[3] Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Eugene I. Meyer Jr. 1875-1959
Agnes E. Meyer 1887-1970
Katharine Meyer Graham 1917-2001

Description

A well-executed landscape painting of two scholars in a mountain setting gazing at tumultuous waves (a tidal bore?). Pine trees form a predominate motif in the foreground. [Also see Comment field, comment #1]

Inscription(s)

1. (Jan Stuart, 30 August 1996) A spurious "signature" by the Song painter Li Tang on the left.

Two collectors' seals appear on the lower left. The top seal (rectangular relief) reads: "Cai Youshi pingsheng jenshang" (Cai Youshi is the sobriquet of Cai Shisong [jinshi degree 1811], a relatively well-known calligrapher and collector); The rectangular relief seal at the bottom edge reads: "Shangqiu Song shi shoucang tushu" (this seal belonged to Song Lo [or Lao] (1634-1713), who was a provincial governor and famous art collector.)

Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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