1947 WU HUFAN SCENIC ESSENCE OF THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS SCROLL PAINTING

拍品描述

Artist(s): Wu HuFan (1894-1968) The present hanging scroll, entitled Nanshan Jingcui Tu, Scenic Essence of the Southern Mountains, depicts a lofty mountain landscape enveloped in drifting clouds and mist. Towering peaks emerge from vapor-filled valleys, while waterfalls descend through rocky cliffs and secluded pavilions appear amid ancient pines. Executed in delicate tones of blue-green, ochre, and ink, the composition demonstrates the meticulous brushwork and elegant coloration closely associated with Wu Hufan?s landscape style.The atmospheric treatment of the mountains, combined with the carefully modulated mineral pigments and layered spatial construction, reflects the artist?s admiration for Song dynasty monumental landscapes while revealing the decorative sensibility that distinguished the modern Suzhou and Shanghai traditions. The winding pathways, hidden dwellings, and cascading waters invite the viewer into an idealized world of scholarly retreat and contemplation. Ink and color on paper, Yisebiao mount, Vertical Axis Hanging scrolls Dimensions (Painting View/Sight): 154cm H x 50cm W Dated: in Seventh Month of Ding Hai year (1947) Signed/Seal(s): Two Seals, signed PROVENANCE: Acquired from a prominent collector, representing an important private collections. The collections presented and offered up to auctions from Lot 25 through Lot 136; and additional related documents and or manuscripts from Lot 137 to Lot 228. Wei Tao-Ming (Wei Daoming), (October 28, 1899 - May 18, 1978) was a prominent Chinese diplomat, statesman, and senior official of the Republic of China. Born in Jiangxi Province, he studied law in the United States and became active in the Nationalist government under Chiang Kai-shek. During the Second World War, Wei served as the Republic of China's Ambassador to the United States from 1942 to 1946, playing an important role in strengthening Sino-American relations during the Allied war effort. He later held several key government positions, including Governor of Taiwan Province (1947-1949), Ambassador to Japan, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China from 1966 to 1971. Wei remained an influential figure in Chinese diplomacy throughout the mid-twentieth century and was closely involved in the Republic of China's international affairs during a period of major political transition in East Asia. ARTIST BIO: Wu HuFan (1894-1968) was a leading traditional painter, known as a collector and connoisseur, as well as for his landscape works. Born in Suzhou in the Jiangsu province, Wu was the grandson of calligrapher and painter Wu Dacheng, and, from a young age, was able to study the works of masters such as the "Four Wangs" of the Qing dynasty. He later studied the painting of Dong Qichang and other artists from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Northern and Southern Song, and Yuan and Ming dynasties. Wu spent the early part of his life in the Shanghai region, and, following the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, taught at the Shanghai Institute of Chinese Painting. He went on to become one of the city's most important connoisseurs, writing extensively about the works in his collection. Wu was known for his elegant brushwork, as well as his delicate ink tones and textured rendering of mountains and trees. His work was firmly rooted in tradition, characterized by clearly defined foregrounds, middle grounds, and distances, and made more modern by his use of color. In particular, Wu's work is noted for its lack of any reference to the dramatically shifting political landscape of 1950s and 1960s China. Although Wu focused primarily on landscape paintings, he was also interested in drawing, and executed a number of flower and bamboo works.

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