Daoist Immortals Walking on Water

Object Details

• Artist

  Formerly attributed to Fang Chunnian (ca. 1225-1264)

• School/Tradition

  Zhe School

• Label

  These two figures wearing patched robes--one with a cape of leaves and the other with a sash of leaves--are wild and free figures, representing Daoist immortals living outside the bounds of the everyday world. The two men concentrate their gaze upon a turtle whose shell carries a thick blanket of green algae, a sign of a long life swimming the ocean. This painting probably belonged to a set of hanging scrolls made to be hung on the walls of a palace or court temple on days appropriate for Daoist celebrations. The theme of immortals crossing the sea was a popular story often presented in court paintings and enacted, as well, in colorful acrobatic and dramatic performances. It is possible the original set of scrolls may have also been displayed in an imperial theater when an entertainment was being performed. Members of the Ming court were fond of surrounding themselves with depictions of the blessings they sought, such as longevity, because they believed images could be efficacious in bringing them their wishes.

• Provenance

  To 1916

  Li Wenqing (late 19th-early 20th century), Shanghai, to 1916 [1]

  From 1916 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Li Wenqing, in New York, in 1916 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Reserved Panel List, R. 25, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. See also, LVC Catalogue, 1915, No. 69.

  [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

  Luxury and Luminosity: Visual Culture and the Ming Court (July 3, 2004 to June 26, 2005)

  In Human Form: Images of the Secular and Divine in Chinese Painting (January 31, 1996 to January 7, 1997)

• 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, 1400s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Li, Wenqing

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Water, Daoist Immortals, Miracle, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Daoism, Chinese Art, Turtles, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings