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Wangchuan Villa

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At A Glance

Period

late 14th-mid 17th century
Geography

China
Material

Ink and color on silk
Dimension

H x W (overall): 29 x 491 cm (11 7/16 x 193 5/16 in)
Accession Number

F1909.234
EDAN ID

edanmdm:fsg_F1909.234

Object Details

Artist

Traditionally attributed to Guo Zhongshu (傳)郭忠恕 (910-977)
Label

The Wang-ch'uan Villa is famous as the estate of the T'ang poet and painter Wang Wei (699-759), who composed a series of poems describing scenic spots within the estate and illustrated them in a handscroll painting. His original composition was preserved in Kuo Chung-shu's copy, which in turn was engraved in stone and rubbings made from it were widely available. Because of Wang Wei's image as the archetypical scholar-artist and fountainhead of the so-called Southern school of painting, literati painters often imitated his style and compositions. The Wang-Ch'uan Villa was important from the thematic point of view as well, giving rise to a genre of paintings of garden estates.

This version of the Wang-Ch'uan Villa is signed at the end with the name of Kuo Chung-shu and in fact is extremely similar to extant rubbings of Kuo's copy. Individual sites around the estate are identified in oblong cartouches and follow exactly the same order as the rubbing. The surfaces of the rocks and mountains are only slightly articulated with dilute contour strokes, unlike many copies in which texturing strokes form a rich surface pattern. The relative plainness of the surface lends an archaic feeling to this scroll.
Provenance

To 1909

Ho, Beijing, to 1909 [1]

From 1909 to 1919

Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Ho in 1909 [2]

From 1920

Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 693, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. This object exhibits seals, colophons, or inscriptions that could provide additional information regarding the object’s history; see Curatorial Remarks in the object record for further details.

[2] See note 1.

[3] 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.
Collection

Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History

Chinese Landscape Painting (November 15, 1980 to March 6, 1981)
Previous custodian or owner

Ho (C.L. Freer source)

Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
Origin

China
Credit Line

Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Type

Painting
Restrictions and Rights

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