- Provenance
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To 1997
Wang Fangyu (1913-1997) and Sum Wai (1918-1996), to 1997 [1]To 1998
Shao F. Wang, New York and Short Hills, NJ, by descent, to 1998 [2]From 1998
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Shao F. Wang in 1998Notes:
[1] According to Curatorial Note 1, Joseph Chang and Stephen D. Allee, May 7, 1998, and Joseph Chang and Stephen D. Allee, August 18, 1998, in the object record.
[2] See note 1.
- Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)
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Shao F. Wang
Wang Fangyu 1913-1997
Sum Wai 1918-1996
- Label
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In traditional Chinese culture, the cedar is primarily revered for its longevity, but it can also symbolize one's father, especially when used in conjunction with the day lily, as here. In the same vein, the day lily is a common Chinese garden plant and frequent subject of paintings, but when it appears together with the cedar, the flower stands for one's mother. Similarly, the wagtail is often used as a metaphor for one's brothers. The painting may thus be viewed not only as an engaging natural scene but also as the portrait of a nuclear family.
While the soft lines in this painting are typical of Bada's late works, as are the wet, layered dots and ink washes, there is also a noticeable lack of cohesion in his representation of physical forms. The roots of the tree grow from the base of the cliff at right, for example, but the trunk seems to disappear halfway up, melting into the rock, and neither the roots nor trunk have any discernible connection to the branches that emerge at the top of the painting. Such deliberate indifference to compositional relationships is characteristic of Bada's paintings at this time.
- Published References
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- Joseph Chang, Quianshen Bai, (Catalogue) Stephen Allee. In Pursuit of Heavenly Harmony: Paintings and Calligraphy by Bada Shanren from the Bequest of Wang Fangyu and Sum Wai. Exh. cat. Washington. cat. 26, pp. 120-121.
- Thomas Lawton, Thomas W. Lentz. Beyond the Legacy: Anniversary Acquisitions for the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. vol. 1 Washington, 1998. pp. 244-251.
- Collection Area(s)
- Chinese Art
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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