The Drunken Monk 醉僧圖

Object Details

• Artist

  Traditionally attributed to Li Gonglin (傳)李公麟 (ca. 1049-1106)

• Calligrapher

  Frontispiece by Hongli, the Qianlong emperor 乾隆帝 (1711-1799)

• Inscription

  Three inscriptions by Hongli, the Qianlong emperor 乾隆帝 (1711-1799)

• Colophon

  Two colophons by Hongli, the Qianlong emperor 乾隆帝 (1711-1799)

  Colophon attributed to Su Shi (1037-1101)

  Colophon by Dongcun (13th-14th century?)

• Label

  To learn more about this and similar objects, visit http://www.asia.si.edu/SongYuan/default.asp Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy.

• Provenance

  Xiang Yuanbian (1515-1590) [1]

  Zhang Liu (active mid-17th century) [2]

  Liang Qingbiao (1620-1691) [3]

  An Qi (1683-after 1742) [4]

  Hongli, the Qianlong emperor (1711-1799; reigned 1735-96) [5]

  Yongyan, the Jiaqing emperor (1760-1820; reigned 1796-1820) [6]

  From at least 1909 to 1915

  Pang Yuanji (1864-1949), Shanghai [7]

  From 1915 to 1968

  Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970), New York, NY, Washington, DC, and Mt. Kisco, NY, purchased through C. T. Loo & Co. from Pang Yuanji on May 15, 1915 [8]

  From 1968

  Freer Gallery of Art, given by Agnes E. Meyer in 1968 [9]

  Notes:

  [1] Thirty seven collector seals of Xiang Yuanbian are located on the scroll, see “Song and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy,” http://www.asia.si.edu/SongYuan/F1968.18/F1968-18.Documentation.pdf, accessed on May 23, 2012.

  [2] Two collector seals of Zhang Liu appear on the scroll. Zhang Liu was a mounter of paintings and calligraphy from Yangzhou in the Yangzi delta who later became an art dealer and both supplied and mounted numerous works for the northern collector Liang Qingbiao. See “Song and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy,” cited in note 1.

  [3] Four collector seals of Liang Qingbiao are located on the scroll. See “Song and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy,” cited in note 1.

  [4] Six collector seals of An Qi are located on the scroll. See “Song and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy,” cited in note 1. The painting was recorded by An Qi in the catalogue of his collection, An Qi, Moyuan huiguani (preface 1742) (Beijing: Hanwenzhai, 1914), vol. 4, juan, Bei song, 1:7a-8a.

  [5] The Qianlong emperor contributed seven written texts to the scroll, accompanied by sixteen personal seals. In addition, twenty-six Qianlong collection seals appear on the scroll. See “Song and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy,” cited in note 1. The painting was recorded in the imperial catalogue published in 1793, see Wang Jie et al., Shiqu baoji xubian (Taibei: National Palace Museum, 1971), vol. 5, p. 2697.

  [6] One Jiaqing’s seal has been identified on the scroll, see See “Song and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy,” cited in note 1.

  [7] Pang Yuanji’s collector seal is located on the scroll. The outside label slip bears an inscription written by the calligrapher He Weipu (1842-1922): “Drunken Monk, by Li Boshi [Li Gonglin]. Treasured in the collection of Xuzhai [Pang Yuanji],” see “Song and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy,” cited in note 1. The painting is listed with detailed description in the catalogue of Pang Yuanji’s collection , Pang Yuanji, Xuzhai minghua lu (Shanghai: Shangyouxuan, 1909), 1:1a-4b. as well as in the bilingual catalogue compiled by Pang on the occasion of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, Pang Lai Ch’en [Pang Yuanji], Biographies of Famous Chinese Paintings: From the Private Collections of L.C. Pang, Che-kiang, China (Shanghai: Mercantile Printing Co., 1915), p. 28-29.

  [8] The scroll was among the paintings brought by Pang Yuanji with the assistance of his cousin Pang Zanchen and the dealer C. T. Loo, to the United States on the occasion of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915, see Pang Lai Ch’en [Pang Yuanji] 1915, p. 28-29.

  The Meyers examined the painting in New York prior to its transfer to San Francisco in March and April 1915, see Eugene Meyer’s telegram to Charles L. Freer, April 30, 1915, Eugene Meyer Papers, Library of Congress, copy in object file. The purchase of the scroll was confirmed by C. T. Loo & Co.’s invoice, issued to Eugene Meyer on May 15, 1915. Agnes E. Meyer recorded the painting in her book Chinese Painting: As Reflected in the Thought and Art of Li Lung-mien, 1070-1106 (New York: Duffield & Co., 1923), p. 365, no. 61.

  [9] See Agnes E. Meyer’s Deed of Gift, dated July 24, 1967, where the painting is listed as no. 3 in the document’s Annex, copy in object file.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Setting the Bar: Arts of the Song dynasty (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Writing, Carving and Rubbing: China’s Calligraphic Arts (April 4 to October 25, 2009)

  Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Memorial Exhibition (September 25, 1971 to October 2, 1972)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Xiang Yuanbian (1525-1590)

  Zhang Liu (mid 17th century)

  Liang Qingbiao (1620-1691)

  An Qi

  Hongli, the Qianlong emperor 乾隆帝 (1711-1799)

  Yongyan, the Jiaqing Emperor (1760-1820; reigned 1796-1820)

  Pang Yuanji 龐元濟 (1864-1949)

  Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer ((1875-1959) and (1887-1970))

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1100s, 1200s

• Name

  Hongli, Liang, Qingbiao, Yongyan, Xiang, Yuanbian, Meyer, Eugene and Agnes E., Liu, Zhang, Qi, An, Pang, Yuanji

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Baimiao style, Chinese Art, Food habits, Southern Song dynasty (1127 - 1279), Monk

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings