Ch'en Hung-shou

Origijnal: Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, 202.1 x 97.8 cm.

On a small island in the midst of a river grow three tall trees, including a pine, a tree with round, red leaves and one with narrow, blue leaves. A man stands under the trees wearing a violet robe and red shoes, his hands clasped under his cloak. To the right, a young man with flowers in his cap attends his master, holding a hu vessel in one hand and a basket of flowers in the other. According to Ch'en Hung-shou's inscription, this is a self-portrait: the figure standing in the center is Ch'en Hung-shou and the boy at the side is his nephew. The artist wrote further:

When we go out to the country for the day,

In springtime, we are intoxicated by the peach blossom's radiant beauty,

In autumn, we see the colors fade,

In summer, we stumble under deep pines,

And finally, in winter, we appreciate the pure, white snow.                       '

All things are related;

Leafing through books over and over gives my soul a feeling of calm.

Beside clear deep waters, I sketch pines and rocks;

If what I say is attuned to the Tao,Then I can consume my fill unashamed.

The inscription is signed and dated 1635, at which time Ch'en would have been 38 sui.

Ch'en Hung-shou (tzu: Chang-hou; in his early years he used the hao Lien-sha-rni but later adopted the names Lao-lien, Yun-men-sengand others) came from Chu-chi in Chekiang. A gifted poet, calligrapher and painter, he included in his repertoire figures, flowers and birds, grasses and insects, and landscape, all painted with equal skill.