The Hall of Precious Paintings 寶繪堂圖

Object Details

• Artist

  Copy after Qiu Ying 仇英 (ca. 1494-1552)

• Description

  Depicts, in the "blue and green style," an open pavilion overlooking a landscape with a bay. The mountainous landscape is dotted with various flowering trees and vines, as well as pine and bamboo. In the open pavilion three scholars, accompanied by two attendants, examine a painting. They are surrounded by three tables piled with bundles of scrolls and archaic metal vessels, and by a painting on a screen. In the courtyard outside the pavilion, a servant carries a red tray with cups. The pavilion and courtyard are enclosed by a fence whose gate is flanked by lion sculptures. Outside the gate, two men are approaching bearing bundles of scrolls. Six seals, siganture and inscription, label on back. One of two with F09.156.

• Signatures

  Signature

• Marks

  Six seals, label on back.

• Inscriptions

  Inscription

• Label

  The wealthy poet, painter, and collector, Wang Shen (ca. 1048-1103), was married to a younger sister of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song dynasty (reigned 1068–85). To house his collection of ancient paintings and works of calligraphy, Wang built the Hall of Precious Paintings in 1077 on the grounds of his opulent private estate near the Northern Song capital, Bianliang (modern Kaifeng, Henan Province), and asked his friend, the famous poet Su Shi (1037-1101), with whom he shared a passion for collecting, to commemorate the hall in an essay. An excerpt from Su's text is inscribed on the painting at upper left. The central figure seated at the desk represents Su Shi, while Wang Shen is the figure looking on from the left.

  This painting is a seventeenth-century copy of a composition attributed to Qiu Ying, whose spurious signature appears at lower right. The inscription at upper left was ostensibly written by his famous contemporary, the calligrapher Zhu Yunming (1461-1527), but the style of writing bears little resemblance to Zhu's known works. This scroll is one of a pair with F1909.156

• Provenance

  To 1909

  Loon Gu Sai, Beijing, to 1909 [1]

  From 1909 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Loon Gu Sai, Beijing 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. 614, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. According to Ingrid Larsen, "'Don’t Send Ming or Later Pictures': Charles Lang Freer and the First Major Collection of Chinese Painting in an American Museum," Ars Orientalis vol. 40 (2011), Loon Gu Sai was possibly Lunguzhai, a store in the antiques district of Liulichang.

  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

  Looking Out, Looking In: Art in Late Imperial China (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Palaces and Pavilions: Grand Architecture in Chinese Painting (September 29, 2002 to March 30, 2003)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Loon Gu Sai (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1600s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Sai, Loon Gu

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Pine tree, Blue-and-green style, Charles Lang Freer collection, Landscapes, Art, Chinese Art, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings