Wind and Snow in the Fir Pines

Landscape of fir-pines in wind and snow, with the artist’s inscription and Emperor Qianlong’s inscription. Six (6) colophons on five sheets of paper, plus one sheet with three (3) collector seals only. Sixty-five (65) collector seals in total.

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Maker(s)
Artist: Li Shan ๆŽๅฑฑ (mid-12th to early 13th century)
Calligrapher: Wang Tingyun (1151-1202) Wang Wanqing (early-mid 13th cent.) Wang Shizhen (1526-1590) Wen Boren ๆ–‡ไผฏไป (1502-1575) Wang Wenzhi ็Ž‹ๆ–‡ๆฒป (1730-1802) Hongli, the Qianlong emperor (1711-1799, reigned 1735-1796)
Historical period(s)
Jin dynasty, late 12th century
Medium
Ink and color on silk and paper
Dimensions
H x W (image): 29.7 x 79.3 cm (11 11/16 x 31 1/4 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1961.34a-c
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Handscroll

Keywords
China, Jin dynasty (1115 - 1234), snow, winter, WWII-era provenance
Provenance

To 1763
Hongli, the Qianlong emperor (1711-1799; reigned 1735-96) [1]

From 1763 to 1784
Peng Qifeng (1701-1784), Minister of War, given by the Qianlong emperor on February 18, 1763 [2]

From 1784
Peng Shaosheng (1740-1796), by descent from his father, Peng Qifeng [3]

Wu Yun (1811-1883) [4]

From at least 1909 to 1915
Pang Yuanji (1864-1949), Shanghai [5]

From 1915 to 1961
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 [6]

From 1961
Freer Gallery of Art, given by Agnes E. Meyer in December 1961 [7]

Notes:

[1] Seven Qianlongโ€™s seals and an inscription of the emperorโ€™s poem are located on the painting, see โ€œSong and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy,โ€ http://www.asia.si.edu/SongYuan/F1961.34/F1961-34.Documentation.pdf, accessed on May 23, 2012.

[2] Peng Qifeng, the high court official, received the handscroll as a gift from the Qianlong emperor at a banquet held on February 18, 1763. The circumstances of the gift were recorded in the colophon composed by Peng. After Pengโ€™s death, his son, Peng Shaosheng, invited the famous calligrapher Wang Wenzhi (1730-1802) to inscribe the colophon on the scroll, which he did on May 6, 1786, see โ€œSong and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy,โ€ cited in note 1.

[3] See note 2.

[4] Eighteen Wu Yunโ€™s collector seals are located on the painting, see โ€œSong and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy,โ€ cited in note 1.

[5] Pang Yuanjiโ€™s collector seal is located on the painting. The painting is listed in the traditional Chinese catalogue of Pang Yuanjiโ€™s collection, Xuzhai minghua lu (Shanghai: Shangyouxuan, 1909), 2:32a-36a as well as in the bilingual catalogue prepared by Pang on the occasion of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, see Pang Lai Chโ€™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. 76-77.

[6] The handscroll 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 Chโ€™en [Pang Yuanji] 1915, p. 76-77. The Meyers examined the painting in New York prior to its transfer to San Francisco in March and April 1915, see Eugene Meyerโ€™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 an invoice issued by C. T. Loo & Co. to Eugene Meyer on May 15, 1915.

[7] See Agnes Meyerโ€™s Deed of Gift, dated December 21, 1961, copy in object file.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Peng Qifeng 1701-1784
Hongli, the Qianlong emperor 1711-1799, reigned 1735-1796
Peng Shaosheng
Wu Yun 1811-1883
Pang Yuanji 1864-1949
Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer (1875-1959) and (1887-1970)

Description

Landscape of fir-pines in wind and snow, with the artist's inscription and Emperor Qianlong's inscription. Six (6) colophons on five sheets of paper, plus one sheet with three (3) collector seals only. Sixty-five (65) collector seals in total.

Inscription(s)

Fastening Pin:

1. ไนพ้š†ๅพก่ฉ ๏ผšๆŽๅฑฑใ€Š้ขจ้›ชๆ‰ๆพๅœ–ใ€‹
Wind and Snow in the Fir-pines, by Li Shan; [with] poem by His Majesty Qianlong.

Outside Label:

2. ้‡‘ๆŽๅฑฑใ€Š้ขจ้›ชๆ‰ๆพๅœ–ใ€‹ใ€‚่พ›ไธ‘็ฅ€็ซˆๆœˆ๏ผŒ่ฅฟ่ กใ€‚
Wind and Snow in the Fir-pines, by Li Shan of the Jin dynasty. [Inscribed] in the month of sacrificing to the god of the hearth [the twelfth lunar month] in the xinchou year [January 10โ€“February 7, 1902], Xili [Fei Nianci].

Inside Label:

3. ๆŽๅฑฑใ€Š้ขจ้›ชๆ‰ๆพๅœ–ใ€‹
Wind and Snow in the Fir-pines, by Li Shan

Artist Inscription:

4. ๅนณ้™ฝๆŽๅฑฑ่ฃฝ
Made by Li Shan of Pingyang.

Other Inscription:

5. ๅƒๅณฐๅฆ‚็ก็މ็‚บ็šด๏ผŒ่ฝ่ฝๅญฅ็ฉบๆœฌ่‰ฒ็œŸ๏ผŒ่Œ…ๅฑ‹ๆŠŠๆ›ธๅฏ’ไธ่ผŸ๏ผŒๆ–ฏไบบๆ‡‰ๆ˜ฏๅ‹ๆพไบบใ€‚
ไนพ้š†ๅพก้กŒใ€‚
[Poem not translated]. Inscribed by the Qianlong emperor.

Colophons:

6. ็นž้™ขๅƒๅƒ่ฌ่ฌๅณฐ๏ผŒๆปฟๅคฉ้ขจ้›ชๆ‰“ๆ‰ๆพ๏ผŒๅœฐๅฃš็ซๆš–้ปƒๆ˜็ก๏ผŒๆ›ดๆœ‰ไฝ•ไบบไผผๆˆ‘ๆ…ตใ€‚
ๆญคๅƒๅฏฅ่ฉฉ๏ผŒ้žๆœฌ่‰ฒไฝๅฑฑไบบ๏ผŒไธ่ƒฝไฝœไนŸใ€‚้ปƒ่ฏ็œŸ้€ธๆ›ธใ€‚ๆ›ธๅพŒๅฎข่‡ณ๏ผŒๆ›ฐ่ณˆๅณถ่ฉฉไนŸใ€‚ๆœช็Ÿฅๅญฐๆ˜ฏใ€‚

Surrounding the yardโ€”a thousand, ten-thousand peaks,
Filling the sky, wind and snow smite the fir-pines.
Fire glows in the ground stove, at dusk I fall asleep,
Is there anyone else in the world so indolent as I?

This is a poem by Canliao [11th century]. Only one with a natural inclination to live among mountains could have composed it. Inscribed by the True Recluse of Huanghua [Yellow Flower Mountain]. A visitor came after I had written this, who said that the poem is by Jia Dao [779โ€“849], but I do not know who is right.

7. ๆญค่€ๅœจๆณฐๅ’Œ้–“๏ผŒ็Œถๅ…ฅ็›ดไบŽ็ฅ•ๆ›ธ็›ฃใ€‚ไบˆๅง‹่ญ˜ไน‹๏ผŒๆ™‚ๅนดๅนพๅ…ซๅ็Ÿฃ๏ผŒ่€Œ็ฒพๅŠ›ไธๅฐ‘่กฐใ€‚ๆฏไบŽๅฑ‹ๅฃ้–“ๅ–œไฝœๅคงๆจน็Ÿณ๏ผŒ้€€่€Œ็จไน‹๏ผŒไนƒ่‡ชๆญŽๆ›ฐ๏ผšใ€ŽไปŠ่€็Ÿฃ๏ผŒๅง‹่งฃไฝœ็•ซ๏ผใ€ใ€‚้ž็œŸ็ฉๅŠ›ไน…๏ผŒๅŠŸๅคซ่‡ณๅˆฐ๏ผŒๅ…ถ่žๆธพๆˆๅฐฑ่™•๏ผŒๆ–ทๆœชๆ˜“็œ่ญ˜ใ€‚ไปŠ่ง€ๆญคใ€Š้ขจ้›ชๆ‰ๆพๅœ–ใ€‹๏ผŒๅ…ถ็ฒพ็ทปๅฆ‚ๆญคใ€‚่‡ณๆ•นๅนด่‡ช่ฒ ๅ…ถ่ƒฝ๏ผŒไบฆๆœช็‚บ้Ž๏ผŒ่€Œไธ–ไฟ—่ฑˆ่ƒฝ็œŸๆœ‰็Ÿฅไน‹่€…๏ผŸๆ•…ๅ…ˆไบบ็ฟฐๆž—ๆ›ธๅ‰ไบบ่ฉฉไปฅๅ“้กŒไน‹๏ผŒ่“‹ๅฐ‡็ฝฎๆญค่€ไบŽๅคไบบไน‹ๅœฐไนŸใ€‚่ฆฝไน‹ใ€Žไฝฟไบบๅขžๆ„Ÿใ€ไบ‘ใ€‚็™ธๅฏๅ…ญๆœˆๅปฟๆœ‰ไบŒๆ—ฅ๏ผŒ่ฌๆ…ถ่ฌนๆ›ธใ€‚

During the Taihe reign period [1201โ€“09], this old fellow [Li Shan] was still serving as Director of the Palace Library, and though he was indeed nearly eighty when I first made his acquaintance, his energy had not diminished in the slightest. Whenever he felt happy about some mural he had painted of great trees and rocks, he would step back and squint at it, then sigh to himself saying, โ€•Now that Iโ€™m old, Iโ€™m beginning to understand how to paint!โ€– Had he truly not built up his strength for a long time and attained such a level of proficiency, his harmonious achievement certainly would not be so easy to know. Now the skill and finesse one sees in Wind and Snow in the Fir-pines are like this. But while it is no fault for someone late in years to trust in his own ability, can anyone in the mundane world truly understand him? Therefore when my deceased father [Wang Tingyun, who was a member of ] the Hanlin Academy, wrote out the poem by some earlier person as an appraisal [of Liโ€™s character], it must have been to place the old fellow on the same ground as the ancient masters. Reading at it, as they say, โ€•makes one feel more deeply.โ€– Twenty-second day in the sixth lunar-month of the guimao year [July 10, 1243], respectfully written by [Wang] Wanqing.

8. ๅณ้‡‘็ง˜ๆ›ธ็›ฃๆŽๅฑฑ็•ซใ€Š้ขจ้›ชๆ‰ๆพๅœ–ใ€‹๏ผŒ่€Œ้ปƒ่ฏ่€ไบบ็Ž‹ๅบญ็ญ ้กŒๅƒๅฏฅ่ฉฉๆ–ผๅพŒใ€‚ไบŒๅ›็š†ๅฎ‹ๅๅฎถๅญ๏ผŒ็‚บๅฎŒ้กๆฐ็ฆ่ฟ‘ๆœ‰่ฒใ€‚ไฝ™ๅถๅพ—ไบŒ็ต•ๅฅ๏ผŒ้กŒๅ…ถๅพŒไบ‘๏ผšใ€Žๆ’ฒๅœฐๆผซๅคฉๅ’ๆœชไผ‘๏ผŒๆพๆ‰ๅƒๅฐบ่ฟฅๅ ชๆ„๏ผŒไธน้’ไธไฝœ็Ž‹ๅญซ่‰๏ผŒ่€ๅ‘ๆ˜Žๅคฉๅ…ฑ็™ฝ้ ญใ€ใ€‚ๅˆ๏ผŒใ€Žๆœ่‰ฒ่”ฅๆ›จๆ˜ ็ขง่™›๏ผŒๅƒๅณฐ็‘ค่‰ๆผธๅ‡‹่ธˆ๏ผŒไฝ•็•ถ้•ท็™ฝๅฑฑ้ ญๆจน๏ผŒๅˆฐไบ†ๆžๆž็މไธๅฆ‚ใ€ใ€‚ไปŠไบŒๅ›่€Œๅœจ๏ผŒไธๅ…ๆณš้ก™ใ€‚็„ถๆŽ็”จ็ญ†็€Ÿๆด’๏ผŒๆธ…็ต•ๆœ‰่‡ด๏ผŒๅ‡บ่นŠ้€•ๅค–๏ผ›ๅบญ็ญ ็ฟฉ็ฟฉ๏ผŒ้‚ๅ…ฅๆตทๅฒณๅบตไธ‰ๆ˜ง๏ผŒ็š†ๅฏๅฏถไนŸใ€‚ๆญคๅ›ๅƒ…ๅ››ๅๆœ‰ไธƒ่€Œๆฒ’๏ผŒ็„ถๆ™‚ๆ™‚่‡ช็จฑ้ปƒ่ฏ่€ไบบ๏ผŒๆฅตๅฏ็ฌ‘ใ€‚่ท‹ๅพŒๆ‰€่ฌ‚่ฌๆ…ถ่€…๏ผŒไป•่‡ณ่กŒ็œๅณๅธ้ƒŽไธญ๏ผŒ้‡‘ๅฒ่ชคไฝœใ€Žๆ›ผๆ…ถใ€๏ผŒ็•ถไปฅๆญค็‚บๆญฃใ€‚้š†ๆ…ถๆˆŠ่พฐๅคๅ…ญๆœˆ๏ผŒๅณ้ƒก็Ž‹ไธ–่ฒž่ฌน้กŒใ€‚

At right is the picture Wind and Snow in the Fir-pines painted by Li Shan, Director of the Palace Library during the Jin dynasty. Following it Old Man Yellow Flower, Wang Tingyun, inscribed a poem by Canliao [see Colophon 1]. Both gentlemen were descendents of famous Song-dynasty families and were renowned courtiers close to the [imperial] Wanyan clan. I have casually composed two quatrains to inscribe at the end [of the scroll], as follows: [poems not translated].If the two gentlemen [Li and Wang] were here today, Iโ€™d not be able to stop perspiring [from embarassment]. For Liโ€™s brushwork is free and easy, exceptionally clear and fine, and goes outside the normal path, while [Wang] Tingyunโ€™s [calligraphy] is smooth and elegant, and achieves the samadhi [full realization] of Haiyueโ€™an [Mi Fu, 1051โ€“1107]. Both [works] can be treasured. The [latter] gentleman was barely in his forty-seventh year when he died, yet he always referred to himself as Old Man Yellow Flower, which is extremely funny. At the end of the [second] colophon, the person who calls himself Wanqing attained the rank of Bureau Director of the Right Office in the Branch Secretariat. The History of the Jin Dynasty mistakenly writes [his name as] Manqing, so one should use the [signature] here to correct [this error].Summer, sixth lunar-month of the wuchen year in the Longqing reign period [June 25โ€“July 23, 1568], respectfully inscribed by Wang Shizhen of Wujun.

9. ๆญคๅทๅ‘ๅ˜—่ง€ไบŽ้‡‘้™ต๏ผŒๆฏๅœจๅคขๆƒณ๏ผŒไปŠๅพฉๅพ—ๅ†่ง€๏ผŒไธๅ‹ๆฌฃๆ…ฐใ€‚ๆ™‚ๅ‹ไบบ้Œขๅ”ๅฏถใ€้กงๅญฃ็‹‚ใ€ๅฐคๅญๆฑ‚ๅœจๅใ€‚่จ˜ไน‹่€…๏ผŒไบ”ๅณฐๅฑฑไบบๆ–‡ไผฏไปไนŸใ€‚้š†ๆ…ถๆˆŠ่พฐๅ…ญๆœˆๆ—ขๆœ›ๅคงๆš‘ไธญ๏ผŒๆ•ฌๅ…ƒ็พŽๅ‡บๆญค๏ผŒ็œŸๅฅ‡่ณžๅ“‰๏ผ

I previously saw this scroll in Jinling [modern Nanjing], and it has remained in my dreams [ever since], so I am overcome with joy to have the opportunity now to see it again. My friends Qian Shubao [Qian Gu, 1508โ€“after 1578], Gu Jikuang [Gu Shengzhi, active late-16th century], and You Ziqiu [You Qiu, active ca. 1670โ€“1690], are seated here with me. The one recording this [event] is Wufeng shanren, Wen Boren. On the day after the full moon [sixteenth day] in the sixth lunar-month of the wuchen year in the Longqing reign period [July 10, 1568], during the period of Great Heat, [the brothers] Jingmei [Wang Shimao, 1536โ€“1588] and Yuanmei [Wang Shizhen, 1526โ€“1590] brought out this [painting for us to see]. It was truly a rare viewing experience!

10. ไนพ้š†ไบŒๅๅ…ซๅนดๆ˜ฅๅญŸๅ…ญๆ—ฅ๏ผŒ็š‡ๅธๅพก้‡่ฏๅฎฎ๏ผŒๅฌๅปท่‡ฃๅ…ฑไบŒๅๅ››ไบบ่ณœๅฎด๏ผŒ่‡ฃๅ•Ÿ่ฑ่’™ๆฉ่ˆ‡็„‰ใ€‚ๆœ‰้ ƒ๏ผŒๅพก่ฃฝๅพ‹่ฉฉไบŒ็ซ ๏ผŒๆ—ขๅ‘ฝ่‡ฃ็ญ‰่ณกๅ’Œ๏ผŒๅˆ็‰น้ ’ๅ…งๅบœ้‘’่—ๅไบบ็•ซๅทๅ„ไธ€ใ€‚่‡ฃๅ•Ÿ่ฑๅพ—ใ€Š้ขจ้›ชๆ‰ๆพๅœ–ใ€‹๏ผŒ้ “้ฆ–็ฅ—ๅ—ใ€‚ๅฎด็•ขๆ”œๆญธ้‚ธ่ˆ๏ผŒๅฑ•้–ฑๆ˜ฏๅœ–๏ผŒ็‚บ้‡‘ๆณฐๅ’Œ้–“็ฅ•ๆ›ธ็›ฃๆŽๅฑฑ็•ซ๏ผŒไฟ‚็ตนๆœฌใ€‚ๅ‡กๅคงๅฐๆ‰ๆพๅไธ€ๆจน๏ผŒ่ซธๅณฐๅฑคๅˆ—๏ผŒ้šฑ้šฑๆœ‰ๅฏ’ๆฒ่‰ฒใ€‚่Œ…ๅฑ‹่•ญ็„ถ๏ผŒๆœ‰ไบบๆ“šๆกˆๅŸทๅทใ€‚ๅ ‚ๅ‰็œพๆจน่ณ็ซ‹๏ผŒ็›ดๆฆฆๅ–ฌๆž้ขจ้›ชไธญ๏ผŒไธๅฏๆ’“ๅฑˆ๏ผŒๅ…ƒ้™ฐ่˜ข่“ฏ๏ผŒๅˆ่‹ฅไฟฏ็ฟณๅ…ถไธ‹ใ€‚่“‹้‡‘ๅŽปๅฎ‹ๆœช้ ๏ผŒๅ…ถๆจน็Ÿณ็šดๆŸ“๏ผŒ็š†ๅฎˆๅฎ‹ไบบๅฎถๆณ•ใ€‚ๅพŒๆœ‰้ปƒ่ฏ็œŸ้€ธ็Ž‹ๅบญ็ญ ๆ›ธๅƒๅฏฅ่ฉฉ๏ผŒๆ˜Ž็Ž‹ไธ–่ฒž่ท‹็จฑๅ…ถ็ญ†ๆณ•็›ดๅ…ฅๆตทๅฒณไน‹ๅฎคใ€‚้ปƒ่ฏไน‹ๅญ่ฌๆ…ถ็บŒ็‚บไน‹้กŒ๏ผŒ่€Œๅผ‡ๅทžๅฑฑไบบ็จฟๅˆ่ฌ‚ๆŽๅฑฑๆญคๅทใ€Ž็”จ็ญ†็€Ÿๆด’๏ผŒๅ‡บ่นŠ้€•ๅค–ใ€ใ€‚็„ถๅ‰‡ๆญคๅœ–่‡ชๅฎŒ้กๆฐไปฅไพ†๏ผŒ่†พ็‚™ๅ่ณขไธ”ๆ•ธ็™พ่ผ‰ใ€‚ไผ่ฎ€ๅพก่ฃฝไธƒ่จ€็ต•ๅฅ๏ผŒๆ„ๆ€ๆทฑ้•ท๏ผŒ่ฑช็ซฏๆธพ่„ซ๏ผŒๅœ“็ฅžๆ–นๆ™บ๏ผŒๅˆฅๅ…ท็ฝ้Œ˜ใ€‚ๆญคๅท่ถณไปฅไธๆœฝ็Ÿฃใ€‚ๆŠ‘่‡ฃๅ•Ÿ่ฑๆ–ผๅฎข๏ผŒๅ†ฌๅฅ‰ๅ‘ฝๆ“ขๅทฆ้ƒฝๅพกๅฒ๏ผŒๅคฉ็ซ ไธ‹่ณ๏ผŒๅ‡œ็„ถๅ‹‰ไปฅๅพŒๅ‡‹ไน‹็ฏ€ใ€‚็š‡ๆฅตๆ‰€ๆ•ท๏ผŒไฝฟๆจ—ๆซŸไธ‹ๆ๏ผŒ่’™่ขซ้›จ้œฒ๏ผŒๅ…‹็ต‚ไฟๅ…ถๅคฉ๏ผŒ่€Œๅ…ๆ–ผๆ–งๆ–คไน‹ๆ‚ฃ๏ผŒ่ช ไธๅ‹ๅŽšๅนธ็„‰ใ€‚ๅ…ถ็ฑค็ขง็މ๏ผŒ็‚บไน‹ๅˆปใ€Žไนพ้š†ๅพก่ฉ ๏ผšๆŽๅฑฑใ€Š้ขจ้›ชๆ‰ๆพๅœ–ใ€‹ใ€ๅ…ซๅˆ†ๅไธ€ๅญ—ใ€‚ๅ…ถๅฐ็ซ ๏ผšๆ›ฐใ€Ž็Ÿณๆธ ๅฏถ็ฌˆใ€ใ€ๆ›ฐใ€Žไธ‰ๅธŒๅ ‚็ฒพ้‘’็’ฝใ€ใ€ๆ›ฐใ€Žไนพ้š†ๅพก่ฆฝไน‹ๅฏถใ€ใ€ๆ›ฐใ€Žๅฎœๅญๅญซใ€ใ€ๆ›ฐใ€Žๅพ—ไฝณ่ถฃใ€ใ€ๆ›ฐใ€Žๅนพๆš‡ๆ€กๆƒ…ใ€ใ€ๆ›ฐใ€Žไนพ้š†้‘‘่ณžใ€ใ€ๆ›ฐใ€Ž็็ฅ•ใ€ใ€ๆ›ฐใ€Žๅญๅญซไฟไน‹ใ€ใ€‚่ˆŠๆœ‰๏ผšใ€Žๅนณ้™ฝใ€ใ€ใ€Žไนพๅคๆธ…่ณžใ€ใ€ใ€Žๆœ‰ๆ˜Ž็Ž‹ๆฐๅœ–ๆ›ธไน‹ๅฐใ€ใ€ใ€ŽๆฑŸ่กจ้ปƒ็ณใ€ใ€ใ€Žไผ‘ไผฏใ€ใ€ใ€Žๅฎ‰ๅ„€ๅ‘จๅฎถ็่—ใ€ใ€ใ€Žๆขๆธ…ๆจ™ๅฐใ€ใ€ใ€Ž่•‰ๆž—้‘’ๅฎšใ€ใ€ใ€Ž่•‰ๆž—็ฅ•็Žฉใ€ใ€ใ€Ž้ผŽๅ…ƒใ€ใ€ใ€Žไปฒ้›…ใ€ใ€ใ€Ž้กงไนๅพทใ€ใ€ใ€Žๅšดๆพคใ€ใ€ใ€Žๅผต็พฝ้ˆžใ€ไน‹ๅฐใ€‚ๅ…ถๅœจๅพŒๆ–น่€…๏ผŒไธๅ…ท้Œ„ใ€‚ๅ‰ๆœ‰ๆจ™้กŒไธƒๅญ—๏ผŒ็•ถๆ˜ฏๆ˜Ž็Ž‹็ฉ‰็™ปๆ›ธใ€‚่ณœ้€ฒๅฃซๅŠ็ฌฌใ€ๅ…‰็ฅฟๅคงๅคซใ€้ƒฝๅฏŸ[ๅทฆ]้™ขๅทฆ้ƒฝๅพกๅฒใ€็›ดๅ—ๆ›ธๆˆฟ่‡ฃๅฝญๅ•Ÿ่ฑๆ•ฌ่จ˜ใ€‚

ๅพก่ณœๅคงๅธ้ฆฌๅฝญๅ…ฌ้‡‘ๆŽๅฑฑใ€Š้ขจ้›ชๆ‰ๆพๅœ–ใ€‹ๅทใ€‚ๅ…ฌๆญ็ด€้ก›ๆœซ๏ผŒๆœชๅŠ่‡ชๆ›ธใ€‚้ ƒๅ…ฌๅทฒไธ‹ไธ–๏ผŒๅ…ฌๅญ็ดนๅ‡ๅฑฌๅ‰็ฟฐๆž—ไพ่ฎ€็Ž‹ๆ–‡ๆฒป่ฃœๆ›ธใ€‚ๆ™‚ไนพ้š†ไบ”ๅไธ€ๅนดๅคๅญŸไนๆ—ฅใ€‚

On the sixth day of the first spring month in the twenty-eighth year of the Qianlong reign-period [February 18, 1763], the August Emperor rode to the Chonghua Palace and summoned court ministers, altogether twenty-four in number, to be given a banquet, and I your subject [Peng] Qifeng, received the Imperial Favor to be among them. After a while, His Majesty composed two stanzas of regulated verse and commanded His ministers and others [to create] matching poems, and He also made a special gift to each [of the twenty-four courtiers] of a scroll from the Imperial Household Collection painted by a famous artist. I your subject [Peng] Qifeng received Wind and Snow in the Fir-pines, bowing my head respectfully to accept [the scroll]. After the banquet, I took it back to my official residence and rolled out the picture to examine it. [The painting] was done on silk by Li Shan, the Director of the Palace Library during the Taihe reign period [1201โ€“09] of the Jin dynasty. There are a total of eleven fir-pines large and small, and ranges of peaks in serried ranks, unclear and indistinct with a cold and freezing look. The thatched hut is desolate and bare, and there is a person [inside] grasping the table and holding a scroll. In front of the hall, a stand of trees towers up, with straight trunks and lofty branches lifting into the snowy wind. They cannot be cowed or made to bend, and stay luxuriantly green [throughout the winter season] of the Primal Yin, seeming to lean over and shelter what lies below. As the Jin dynasty was not very long after the [Northern] Song, the texture strokes and use of [ink] wash on the trees and stones were influenced by the styles of Song-dynasty artists. Following [the painting] is a poem of Canliao [11th century] written out by the True Recluse of Yellow Flower [Mountain], Wang Tingyun. The colophon by Wang Shizhen of the Ming dynasty [see Colophon 3, above] praises his calligraphy [by stating that] his style of brushwork directly entered the chamber of Haiyue [Mi Fu, 1051โ€“1107]. Yellow Flowerโ€™s son, [Wang] Wanqing, added a further inscription to [the scroll]. The manuscript by the Mountain Man of Yanzhou [Wang Shizhen] says that in this scroll Li Shanโ€™s โ€•brushwork is free and easy, and goes outside the normal path.โ€– All this being so, then from the [imperial] Wanyan clan [of the Jin dynasty] on down, this picture has been relished by famous worthies for several hundred years. I humbly read the quatrain in seven-character lines composed by His Majesty, and its thought is profound and eternal. The brushwork is effortless and untrammeled, the round [strokes are done] with spirit and the square with intelligence, each one specially forged and tempered. This scroll is worthy indeed of immortality! During the winter, when I your subject [Peng] Qifeng was in residence [at court], I received the Imperial Command promoting me to Left Censor-in-Chief. The Celestial Certificate descended, sternly enjoining me to maintain the moral integrity [of the pine], which is the last to wither [in winter].
As the Dispensation of the August Throne caused [me], this inferior timber of ailanthus and chestnut oak, to receive [the benefits of] rain and dew and shall forever safeguard their days, averting all harm from axe and hatchet, I was truly overwhelmed by [the Emperorโ€™s] Generosity and Kindness. He had the [scrollโ€™s] fastening pin of green jade carved with eleven characters in clerical script [reading], โ€œWind and Snow in the Fir-pines, by Li Shan; [with] a poem by His Majesty Qianlong.โ€– His seals [on the painting] read: Shiqu baoji, Sanxitang jingjian xi, Qianlong yulan zhi bao, Yi zisun, De jiaqu, Jixia yiqing, Qianlong jianshang, Zhenmi,13 and Zisun bao zhi. [The scroll also] has earlier [seals reading]: Pingyang, Qiankun qingshang, You Ming Wang shi tushu zhi yin, Jiangbiao Huang Lin, Xiubo, An Yizhou jiazhencang, Liang Qingbiao yin, Jiaolin jianding, Jiaolin miwan, Dingyuan,14Zhongya, Gu Jiude,15Yan Ze, and Zhang Yujun.16 I have not transcribed the collector seals on the [colophon] section behind [the painting]. The seven-character [text] on the inside label slip in front [of the painting] must have been written by Wang Zhideng [1535โ€“1612] of the Ming dynasty. Respectfully recorded by the Metropolitan Graduate with Honors, Grand Master for Splendid Happiness, and Left Censor-in-Chief of the Surveillance Bureau, on duty in the Southern Study, your subject Peng Qifeng.

The scroll Wind and Snow in the Fir-pines, by Li Shan of the Jin dynasty, was bestowed by His Majesty on the Commander-in-chief, Lord Peng,17 who respectfully recorded [the event] from beginning to end, but did not get around to writing it [on the scroll] himself. As the Lord recently passed away, his son [Peng] Shaosheng [1740โ€“1796] instructed me, the former Reader-in-waiting in the Hanlin Academy, Wang Wenzhi, to add his text [to the scroll]. It is the ninth day in the fourth lunar-month of the fifty-first year in the Qianlong reign period [May 6, 1786].

Marking(s)

Zhijun ใ€Ž็›ดๅ›ใ€ (square intaglio) - outside label

Faxi dacang ใ€Žๆณ•ๅ–œๅคง่—ใ€ (rectangle relief) - frontispiece

Pingyang ใ€Žๅนณ้™ฝใ€ (rectangle intaglio) - artist inscription

De jiaqu ใ€Žๅพ—ไฝณ่ถฃใ€ (square intaglio)
Jixia yiqing ใ€Žๅนพๆš‡ๆ€กๆƒ…ใ€ (square intaglio) - other inscription

illegible (square intaglio) - colophon 2

Wang Yuanmei yin ใ€Ž็Ž‹ๅ…ƒ็พŽๅฐใ€ (square intaglio)
Tiantao jushi ใ€Žๅคฉๅผขๅฑ…ๅฃซใ€ (square intaglio) - colophon 3

Zhi ใ€Žๆฒปใ€ (square relief/intaglio)
- colophon 5

Jiangbiao Huang Lin ใ€ŽๆฑŸ่กจ้ปƒ็ณใ€ (square relief) โ€“ painting, lower right
Xiubo ใ€Žไผ‘ไผฏใ€ (square relief) โ€“ painting, lower right
Lin yin ใ€Ž็ณๅฐใ€ (rectangle intaglio) โ€“ colophon 1, left

Gu Congde ใ€Ž้กงๅพžๅพทใ€ (linked square intaglio/relief) โ€“ painting, lower right
Ruxiu ใ€Žๆฑ่„ฉใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ colophon 1, mid-right
Gu shi Yunge zhencang ใ€Ž้กงๆฐ่Šธ้–ฃ็่—ใ€ (rectangle relief) โ€“ colophon 1, mid-right

Zhenyuan ใ€Ž่ฒžๅ…ƒใ€ (linked square relief) โ€“ painting/mountingsilk 2 join, top
Zhongya ใ€Žไปฒ้›…ใ€ (square relief) โ€“ painting/mounting silk 2 join, bottom
Qiankun qingshang ใ€Žไนพๅคๆธ…่ณžใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ painting, top left
You Ming Wang shi tushu zhi yin ใ€Žๆœ‰ๆ˜Ž็Ž‹ๆฐๅœ–ๆ›ธไน‹ๅฐใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ painting, top left
Fuzhi Xunyang dengchu guanfang ใ€Žๆ’ซๆฒปๅ‹›้™ฝ็ญ‰่™•้—œ้˜ฒใ€ (rectangle relief) โ€“ colophon paper 6, upper right

Yan Ze zhi yin ใ€Žๅšดๆพคไน‹ๅฐใ€ (square intaglio/relief) โ€“ painting/mounting silk 3 join, bottom

Shengguo wenxian ใ€Žๅ‹ๅœ‹ๆ–‡็ปใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ between colophons 1 and 2, bottom
Yiโ€™an tushu ใ€Žๆ˜“่ดๅœ–ๆ›ธใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ between colophons 1 and 2, bottom

Zhang Zezhi ใ€Žๅผตๅ‰‡ไน‹ใ€ (rectangle relief) โ€“ colophon 1, middle bottom โ€“ (1/2)
Zhang Zezhi ใ€Žๅผตๅ‰‡ไน‹ใ€ (rectangle relief) โ€“ colophon 4, left โ€“ (2/2)

Zhang Liu ใ€Žๅผต้ใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ painting, lower left corner โ€“ (1/2)
Zhang Liu ใ€Žๅผต้ใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ colophon 1, lower left โ€“ (2/2)

Liang Qingbiao yin ใ€Žๆขๆธ…ๆจ™ๅฐใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ mounting silk 2
Jiaolin jianding ใ€Ž่•‰ๆž—้‘’ๅฎšใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ mounting silk 2
Cangyan ใ€Ž่’ผๅท–ใ€ (square relief) โ€“ painting/mounting silk 3 join, top
Jiaolin miwan ใ€Ž่•‰ๆž—็ฅ•็Žฉใ€ (square relief) โ€“ mounting silk 2/colophon 1 join, bottom
Hebei Tangcun ใ€ŽๆฒณๅŒ—ๆฃ ๆ‘ใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 1/colophon 2 join, top
Yeqi yuyin ใ€Žๅ†ถๆบชๆผ้šฑใ€ (rectangle relief) โ€“ colophon 2, left paper strip/colophon 3 join, middle
Tangcun ใ€Žๆฃ ๆ‘ใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 3/colophon 4 join, middle
Cangyanzi ใ€Ž่’ผๅท–ๅญใ€ (circle relief) โ€“ colophon 4, left
Guan qi dalue ใ€Ž่ง€ๅ…ถๅคง็•ฅใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ colophon 4, left

An Yizhou jiazhencang ใ€Žๅฎ‰ๅ„€ๅ‘จๅฎถ็่—ใ€ (rectangle relief) โ€“ painting, right
Zhenmi ใ€Ž็็ฅ•ใ€ (square relief) โ€“ mounting, left of painting
Zisun bao zhi ใ€Žๅญๅญซไฟไน‹ใ€ (diamond intaglio) โ€“ mounting, left of painting
Anshi Yizhou shuhua zhi zhang ใ€Žๅฎ‰ๆฐๅ„€ๅ‘จๆ›ธ็•ซไน‹็ซ ใ€ (rectangle intaglio) โ€“ colophon 2, left
Chaoxian ren ใ€Žๆœ้ฎฎไบบใ€ (rectangle intaglio) โ€“ colophon 5, left
An Qi zhi yin ใ€Žๅฎ‰ๅฒไน‹ๅฐใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ colophon 5, left

Qianlong yulan zhi bao ใ€Žไนพ้š†ๅพก่ฆฝไน‹ๅฏถใ€ (oval relief) โ€“ painting, upper right
Sanxitang jingjian xi ใ€Žไธ‰ๅธŒๅ ‚็ฒพ้‘’็’ฝใ€ (rectangle relief) โ€“ painting, upper right
Shiqu baoji ใ€Ž็Ÿณๆธ ๅฏถ็ฌˆใ€ (square relief) โ€“ painting, upper right
Yi zisun ใ€Žๅฎœๅญๅญซใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ painting, upper right
Qianlong jianshang ใ€Žไนพ้š†้‘‘่ณžใ€ (circle intaglio) โ€“ painting, upper left

Baoleizi ใ€ŽๆŠฑ็ฝๅญใ€ (square relief) โ€“ mounting silk 1/frontispiece join, top โ€“ (1/6)
Wu Pingzhai ใ€Žๅณๅนณ้ฝ‹ใ€ (square relief-intaglio) โ€“ mounting silk 1/frontispiece join, bottom โ€“ (1/6)
Baoleizi ใ€ŽๆŠฑ็ฝๅญใ€ (square relief) โ€“ frontispiece/mounting silk 2/inside label join, top โ€“ (2/6)
Wu Pingzhai ใ€Žๅณๅนณ้ฝ‹ใ€ (square relief-intaglio) โ€“ frontispiece/mounting silk 2 join, bottom โ€“ (2/6)
Wu Yun Pingzhai changshou ใ€Žๅณ้›ฒๅนณ้ฝ‹้•ทๅฃฝใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ mounting silk 2, middle
Wu Yun siyin ใ€Žๅณ้›ฒ็งๅฐใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ mounting silk 2/painting join, bottom
Wu Pingzhai shending mingxian zhenji ใ€Žๅณๅนณ้ฝ‹ๅฏฉๅฎšๅ่ณข็œŸ่ทกใ€ (square relief) โ€“ painting, lower left
Erbai lanting zhai ใ€ŽไบŒ็™พ่˜ญไบญ้ฝ‹ใ€ (rectangle relief) โ€“ painting/mounting silk 3 join, bottom
Guiโ€™an Wu Yun ใ€Žๆญธๅฎ‰ๅณ้›ฒใ€ (square intaglio) โ€“ mounting silk 3/colophon 1 join, middle
Baoleizi ใ€ŽๆŠฑ็ฝๅญใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 1/colophon 2 join, middle โ€“ (3/6)
Wu Pingzhai ใ€Žๅณๅนณ้ฝ‹ใ€ (square relief-intaglio) โ€“ colophon 1/colophon 2 join, bottom โ€“ (3/6)
Baoleizi ใ€ŽๆŠฑ็ฝๅญใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 2, left paper strip/colophon 3 join, top โ€“ (4/6)
Wu Pingzhai ใ€Žๅณๅนณ้ฝ‹ใ€ (square relief-intaglio) โ€“ colophon 2, left paper strip/colophon 3 join, bottom โ€“ (4/6)
Baoleizi ใ€ŽๆŠฑ็ฝๅญใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 3/colophon 4 join, top โ€“ (5/6)
Wu Pingzhai ใ€Žๅณๅนณ้ฝ‹ใ€ (square relief-intaglio) โ€“ colophon 3/colophon 4 join, bottom โ€“ (5/6)
Baoleizi ใ€ŽๆŠฑ็ฝๅญใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon paper 5/colophon paper 6 join, top โ€“ (6/6)
Wu Pingzhai ใ€Žๅณๅนณ้ฝ‹ใ€ (square relief-intaglio) โ€“ colophon paper 5/colophon paper 6 join, bottom โ€“ (6/6)
Wu Yun Pingzhai ใ€Žๅณ้›ฒๅนณ้ฝ‹ใ€ (square intaglio, with animal motif) โ€“ far left end of scroll

Zhiwan ใ€Žไน‹่ฌใ€ (square relief) โ€“ painting, lower left โ€“ (1/2)
Zhiwan ใ€Žไน‹่ฌใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 1/colophon 2 join, middle โ€“ (2/2)

Jingxian cengguan ใ€Žๆ™ฏ่ณขๆ›พ่ง€ใ€ (rectangle relief) โ€“ mounting silk 3, lower right

Xuzhai shending mingji ใ€Ž่™›้ฝ‹ๅฏฉๅฎšๅ่ทกใ€ (square relief) โ€“ mounting silk 3, lower left

Fuโ€™an ใ€Žๅค่ดใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 1, left, over last character
Chaoranshi ใ€Ž่ถ…็„ถๅฎคใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 1/colophon 2 join, bottom
Chibao zhongjie zhi jia ใ€Žๆ••่ค’ๅฟ ็ฏ€ไน‹ๅฎถใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 2, lower left
Gaoyang X-shi ใ€Ž้ซ˜้™ฝโ–กๆฐใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 2, left paper strip, middle
Yuansou yanfu ใ€Ž่ฏๅŸ็œผ็ฆใ€ (square relief) โ€“ colophon 3/colophon 4 join, bottom

Label

On a cold winter's day, in a secluded thatched-roof cottage surrounded by bamboo and nestled in a grove of tall pine trees, a lone scholar-recluse warms himself at an earthen fire pit.  Blunt, angular brush strokes define the pine needles and rough bark of the trees, behind which a landscape of jutting snow-covered peaks stretches into the distance.

The Chinese artist Li Shan was the foremost landscape painter under the Jin dynasty (1115-1234), which was founded by conquest when Jurchen tribes from Manchuria occupied northern China.  Few authentic paintings produced during the Jin dynasty have survived, and this exquisite handscroll--entirely Chinese in form and inspiration--is the only genuine work by Li Shan among the several extant paintings sometimes attributed to him.  His sharp definition of objects in the foreground and use of rich ink washes in the background mark him as a follower of the Li Cheng (919-967) and Guo Xi (ca. 1001-ca. 1090) style of landscape painting.


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

Published References
  • Lin-ts'an Li. A Study of Dots in Chinese Landscape Painting. vol. 9 Taipei, November-December 1974. pl. 3.
  • William Watson. The Art of Dynastic China. New York, 1981. cat. 462.
  • Suzuki Kei. Chugoku kaiga sogo zuroku [Comprehensive Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Painting]. 5 vols., Tokyo, 1982-1983. vol. 1: pp. 218-219.
  • Suzuki Kei. Chugoku kaiga shi. 8 vols., Tokyo, 1981-1988. cat. 138, vol. 1: p. 134, vol. 1, pt. 2.
  • Osvald Siren. Chinese Painting: Leading Masters and Principles. 7 vols., New York and London, 1956-1958. vol. 2: pp. 62, 130.
  • Keiko Kawamoto. Nihon byobue shusei. 18 vols., Tokyo, 1977-1982. vol. 6: p. 141.
  • Angela Li Lin. Notes on "Wind and Snow in Firpines" by Li Shan of the Chin Dynasty. vol. 15, nos.2,3 Taipei. pls. 9,10,20,100.
  • ku-kung chi k'an. vol. 14, no. 2. pl. 1.
  • Chung-kuo shu hua [Chinese Painting]. Taipei. vol. 2: p. 30.
  • Song Dynasty Paintings Project. multi-volumed, . .
  • Mary Ellen Hayward. The Influence of the Classical Oriental Tradition. vol. 14, no. 2 Chicago, Summer 1979. fig. 7.
  • Dr. John Alexander Pope, Thomas Lawton, Harold P. Stern. The Freer Gallery of Art. 2 vols., Washington and Tokyo, 1971-1972. cat. 44, vol. 1: p. 159.
  • James Cahill. The Art of Southern Sung China. New York. pp. 26-27, pl. 5.
  • Thomas Lawton. Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Memorial Exhibition. Exh. cat. Washington, 1971. cat. 20, pp. 40-41.
  • Masterpieces of Chinese and Japanese Art: Freer Gallery of Art handbook. Washington, 1976. p. 48.
  • Steven D. Owyoung. The Huang Lin Collection. vol. XXXV New York and Honolulu, HI. p. 59, fig. 4.
  • Linda Cook Johnson. The Art of the Jurchen Revival: A Court Movement in Chin Dynasty. San Jose, CA. p. 77.
  • Susan Bush. Literati Culture Under the Chin (1122-1234). vol. 15, no. 2, Summer 1969. pp. 103-112, pl. 3.
  • Arthur Mu-sen Kao. The Life and Art of Li K'an. Ann Arbor. pp.129,145-6,187.
  • Susan Bush. Clearing After Snow in the Min Mountains and Chin Landcape Painting. vol. 11, no. 3 London, September 1965. p. 166, fig. 5.
  • Thomas Lawton. Notes on Five Paintings from a Ch'ing Dynasty Collection. vol. 8 Washington and Ann Arbor. pp. 192-210, fig. 3.
  • et al. Chinese Calligraphy. The Culture and Civilization of China New Haven and Beijing. p. 283, pl. 5.41.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy
Google Cultural Institute
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