‘TEACHING A CHILD’, AFTER LIU YANCHONG

拍品描述

‘TEACHING A CHILD’, AFTER LIU YANCHONG China, Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Ink, gold- and watercolors on paper. Mounted as a hanging scroll on a silk coated backing with hardwood handles. Finely painted to depict a lady seated below a blossoming tree in a palace garde, holding a lotus flower that suspends a sheng. She is accompanied by a young boy who attempts to grab the instrument. Inscribed to the upper right. Inscriptions: To the upper right with three poems, ‘Presented to the singer. Immortal melodies softly sway as the jade flute urges them on, as though orioles had drifted forth from the imperial gardens. One day, in longing, should you behold me in enchanted dreams, do not let rain and clouds envelop the sunlit cliffs.’ Followed by a second poem, ‘Autumn Lament in the Western Palace. The lotus blossom cannot rival the lady’s beauty, yet when the wind moves through the waterside pavilion, the fragrance of mother-of-pearl ornaments and clover drifts through the air.’, and a third poem, ‘On Zhang Yunrong and her dance. The sleeve of light silk stirs the fragrance, and the fragrance seems without end…’. Dated ‘On the beginning of autumn (Liqiu) in the year Gengshen, in the style of Xiaoqiao Jushi’, signed ‘painted by Yanchong’, and two seals, one reading ‘Yanchong’. Dimensions: Image size 110.5 x 62.7 cm (excl. backing), Size 194.5 x 77 cm (incl. mounting) Liu Yanchong (1807-1847) was a native of Tongliang, Sichuan, who resided in Suzhou, Jiangsu. He studied under Zhu Angzhi, excelled in poetry and prose, and was skilled in painting, mastering landscapes, figures, and flowers. He was particularly renowned for his ability to capture the essence of ancient paintings. His works featuring splashed-ink cloud mountains also received high praise, with many of his pieces fetching high prices at auctions. Due to his early death and the scarcity of his surviving works, Liu Yanchong was long overlooked by art history.

图片