Shide Laughing at the Moon

Object Details

• Artist

  Attributed to Zhang Lu (1464-1538)

• School/Tradition

  Zhe School

• Label

  This large solitary figure is the Chan (or Zen) disciple Shide, who lived during the Tang dynasty (618-907). Found in the wilderness as a homeless youth, Shide was set to work as a menial in the monastic kitchen of Guoqing Temple in the Tiantai Mountains of Zhejiang Province, where he later befriended an eccentric local hermit by the name of Hanshan. The two became constant companions and were famous for their bizarre behavior, especially the odd statements and manic laughter with which they often responded to ordinary questions.

  Dressed in rags and with unkempt hair, Shide is often shown with a crude kitchen broom, which in this painting lies behind him on the ground. Standing with a crazed expression before a dark vertical wall of rock, head thrown back and mouth open in lunatic laughter, he gazes past dangling creepers to the pale full disk of the moon. Typical of Zhe School painting, which was mainly active in Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the brushwork is fluid and vigorous with bold areas of skillfully graded ink tones.

• Provenance

  To 1911

  Li Wenqing (circa 1869-1931), Shanghai to 1911 [1]

  From 1911 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Li Wenqing, in China, in 1911 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 875, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [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

  Enlightened Beings: Buddhism in Chinese Paintings (September 1, 2012 to February 24, 2013)

  Tales of the Brush: Chinese Painting with Literary Themes (February 9 to July 27, 2008)

  Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (III) (May 29, 1999 to January 30, 2000)

  Chinese Figure Painting (September 17, 1973 to January 3, 1975)

  Chinese and Japanese Art--Lacquer and Paintings (August 18, 1967 to October 14, 1969)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Li Wenqing 李文卿 (ca. 1869-1931) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1500s, 1530s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Li, Wenqing

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Hermit, Zen Buddhism, Moon, Chinese Art, Outer space, Shide, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Monk

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings