Two Chinese paintings

Two Chinese paintings, left and right views, and details of inscriptions. Originals are c. 10" diameter.

Notes:

I cornered two of my Chinese friends for a "curbside" translation of the inscriptions on these paintings. The husband (Chao Yu, PhD paleontologist) and wife (Meng Li, PhD Russian literature) are both native Chinese, but they are not art historians or collectors, so they cautioned me to have a specialist opinion later (of course). Meng also recruited her father, an historian, for some additional thoughts. They were generous with their time, made many excellent observations, and identified these two paintings as carrying the names of two well-known painters.

According to Meng, the paintings might be done by the same painter, but the styles are just different enough to make this uncertain. The caligraphic inscriptions, however, appear to have been made by different hands (or made to appear so), and the signatures and seals are different, too. In Chinese paintings, the painting might be done by one person, and the poem or inscription by someone else, or they could both be done by the same person, and if it was a painting of merit, even collectors would affix their seals to the painting as a mark of ownership and good taste. This last possibility seems remote here because -- and it is only a possibility for the painting with two seals -- the second seal is a virtual short-hand of the artist's signed "art" name, and a collector would probably not affix his own seal ABOVE the artist's seal.

Painting #1 (top row).

Another friend (Milt) and his collector buddy (Jeffrey Wang) believe both paintings are reproductions, made for decorative purposes. They argue that both paintings originate in south China in the Su Chou area in the early Republic (1912-1949). They identify the first (putatively) to the well-known early-Qing dynasty painter Wang Yuan Chi or Wang Yuan Qi (1642-1715), and his Zhi ("second name") and seal inscription as Mao Jing. He is a well-known Chinese landscape painter.

For the first painting (top row with the shorter inscription; Chinese painting 1, two monks in a clearing), the inscription is actually more difficult to interpret than the longer one on the second painting, according to my friends, because of some ambiguities in the syntax over the subject of different actions.

Reading from right to left, we have four lines of inscription, one line of signature, and one seal:

1) Xi lin (stream; forest; but could also be a two-character surname, and the ambiguity or double meaning possibly intentional)
2) Mi ju (to seek/search; sentence). These first two lines probably constitute a title of the painting.
3) Mei dao ren (Mei is a surname meaning plums, or some kind of winter flower, signifying integrity; Dao ren could mean a Daoist monk, but in this context, it refers to a late Qing dynasty painter and singer named Mei Qiao Ling (1835-1882). This man's son, Mei Lan Fang, also became a famous Peking Opera singer.)
4) Zeng xie zhi (past tense signifier; verb to write; this). These two lines suggest that a painting titled Xi Lin Mi Ju was made by the artist Mei Qiao Ling.

Sig) Wang Yuan Qi (Wang is a family name; Yuan Qi is a given name). This is the signature to this painting. It suggests that Wang Yuan Qi copied an earlier painting by Mei Qiao Ling.
Seal) Mao Jing (luxuriant/splendid; capital city). This is the seal of Wang Yuan Qi, using a Zhi, or "second name."

So, altogether, we have something like:

"Xi Lin seeks a verse" by Mei Qiao Ling, copied by (or inspiring) Wang Yuan Qi (also known by his art name in the seal), Mao Jing.

Painting #2 (bottom row).

Milt and Jeff attribute the second painting (again putatively) to Qian Du (1764-1844), a famous mid-Qing dynasty painter who lived mostly in Zhe Jiang province near Shanghai. He is also known as Xung Hu, Yu Shumei, Songhu, Songhu Xiaoyin, and Hegong. He is known for his fine brushwork in flowers and landscapes.

The second painting's inscription reads:

1) Bo zhou cun guo wai (to berth; a boat; village; border/edge; outside)
2) Shu tian nao xi qin (trees; sky; to make noise or chirp; to perch; birds)
3) Yin yin ping qiao xi (faintly; faintly; flat; bridge; West). The first character Yin is repeated by a "repetition" mark, so it is read twice. Ping, flat, possibly refers to the local name, or the actual type, of the bridge.
4) Shan ren hua gu jin (mountain; residents; talk; ancient; current)

Sig line 1) Song hu ju shi (literally evergreen tree; teapot; hermit). But here, Songhu and Jushi are assumed "art" names.
Sig line 2) Shu mei hua (?; literally beauty; to draw/paint). But again, another assumed "art" name, Shumei Hua, or Shumei Yu.

Top seal) Qian du zhi yin (A surname; a given name; of; seal). Seal of Qian Du. Qian is an old family name from the southern areas of China, and also means "money" so it has happy associations.
Bottom seal) Song Hu. Another version of the art name in signature line #1.

So, we have an inscription something like:

(Implied subject is "I") I berth a boat at the outer border of a village. Chirping birds fill the sky and alight on trees. To the West of the Flat Bridge, I hear something very faintly: Mountain men talking about life. (Signed by) Songhu Ju Shi, Shumei Yu. Seal of Qian Du. (Seal of) Songhu.

My thanks again to Meng Li and Chao Yu, Milt and Jeff. If you are interested in communicating questions, comments, or corrections about attributions, please contact Gavin Hougham at ghougham@yahoo.com

horizontal rule

Back to Nihonto Viewing
Back to GH home