Lilac and Calligraphy 丁香花圖并行草題跋 (兩冊頁)

Object Details

• Artist

  Bada Shanren 八大山人 (朱耷) (1626-1705)

• Label

  Although Bada Shanren occasionally painted lilacs, the flower lies outside his normal repertory of botanical subjects. It is also highly unusual that Bada painted the plant's leaves and blossoms in such deep, opaque colors; only one similar work by him is known, perhaps created for the same album from which only these two leaves still survive. The calligraphy inscription on the facing leaf reads: "Spring of the gengwu year [1690], imitating the painting style of Baoshan [Lu Zhi, 1496-1576]. Bada Shanren."

  Lu Zhi, whose sobriquet was Baoshan, is primarily known as a landscape painter but was also famed for his sensitive flower studies, which generally bear little resemblance in style or execution to the current painting leaf. As is often the case with Bada Shanren, the precise basis for his assertion of stylistic affinity with a particular artist remains elusive. Under his signature on the calligraphy, Bada also impressed a unique seal that not only depicts a mountain but may also be read as the Chinese character for "mountain," thereby creating a truly striking and original addition to his composition.

• Provenance

  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 1998

  Notes:

  [1] According to Curatorial Note 4, 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.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Enigmas: The Art of Bada Shanren (1626-1705) (June 20, 2015 to January 3, 2016)

  In Pursuit of Heavenly Harmony: Paintings and Calligraphy by Bada Shanren (1626-1705) from the Bequest of Wang Fangyu and Sum Wai (April 26 to October 13, 2003)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Wang Fangyu (1913-1997)

  Sum Wai (1918-1996)

  Shao F. Wang

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Bequest from the collection of Wang Fangyu and Sum Wai, donated in their memory by Mr. Shao F. Wang

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1690s

• Name

  Wang, Fangyu, Wai, Sum, Wang, Shao F.

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Lilac, Art, Chinese Art, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Shao F. Wang collection, Flowers

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings