Jakabffy Imre szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 13. (Budapest, 1971)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM - MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Kecskés, Lili: Several Works of Four Ch'ing Painters

arc painted in minute particulars, one

1 painled Willi accent dois, ihe other with flat ones. The

1 flowers of the blossoming tree

1 are marked by small circles. The

1 painting is modelled on the style of the traditional ^ iian and Ming landscape painting, with mountains, cliffs and shrubs covering several peaks in the' background, and in the Foreground the favourite theme of the time

1

: tree or trees on the riverbank. The composition fills the' whole space equally with all important requirements of landscape painting. However it gives an impression of its lack of fluidity, only the imposing cliffs show the band of an original master. The painting is dated, accordingly it was painted in the" year ping-hsii (.corresponding to L646). Although this elate fell also in the second year of Lung-wu, the

1 large' part of the country bad already been ruled by Shun-chih, the first Manchu Emperor (loll

—1662). The inscription on the' right edge attributes the painting lo Yang Ting: "lielurning to Ch'iyu (?) in the spring of the year ping-hsii. at the request of Ts'u the literary man of our society, painled Yang Ting, a native of Yunchou". It is followed by two seals, one is illegible, and the other reads as follows: "Yang Ting club yin". The painting bears two other inscriptions on the' upper portion. One' is made by Ch'en Tan-cbung, a contemporary of Yang, a man of letters and painter who after the fall of the Ming dynasty went into retirement and travelled as Buddhisl monk in mountains and woods. The inscription consists of a seven word poem which may be rendered as follows: I am travelling through the spring, unable' to stop. Ear peaks would but rock me to dreams. The painter of lonely pine's lives keeping out of sight for long. The sun is shining sidelong above the

1 plashing of the brook. Unforgetful feelings make' us drink link's. Through much worry and hardship the chou-mu is also out here. Many Friends are living among pine' woods. They built mountain huts waiting for guests. Young Ch'en Tan-chung wrote, offering to friend Yüan-c'ao of the society when I was taking a long talk with friend Ts'u during my slay al Han-river." Two seels of him can be' read as: "Ch'en Tan-chung yin" and "Shc-chiang". The' second inscription written by Chou Huang of whom we' know nothing consists of a live word poem added to ihe- first one: "... High peaks stand lifelike

1

. There' is no angler on the far river. Books are lying in the' empty hut. It is occupied by wilel clouds driving each other. Written lo aelel let the poem by master Ts'u-she, and to ask for senior Ts'u lilerary's leaching, Chou Huang." The

1 inscription is followed by a seal: "Chou I luang". 2. Chiao Ping-cheng, Mu-lan. Hanging scroll in color. Executed on silk, mounted on patterned brocade. Inventory number: 53.806. 66 X 32 ein. (fig. 2) Chiao Ping-cheng, tzu Erh-cheng, a native of Chining, Shantung. He was one of the best known painters attached to the Court in the K'ang-hsi period. Active between 1

080—1720 as landscapist, figure' ami flower-painter. As an employee of the Imperial Observatory in ihe Palace' he had opportunity lo gel acquinted with the' paintings distributed by the' European missionaries. Tie Iried to form a new style by grafting linear perspective and plastic modelling on the traditional manner of Chinese painting .- His style was described by (Jiang Keng as follows: "... Mis painled objects appearing from near to far. from big lo small." And bis works may be divided into six groups.'' He became well known for his painting of the 46 illustrations of agriculture and weaving (Keng-chih-t'u) made in ihe' 35th year of K'ang-hsi (1007). One group of bis paintings is made up of historical woman figure's lo which our painting also belongs. '-' Siren. ().: Chinese Painting. London, 1958. Vol. V. p. 90. 3 Chung Kong: Kuo-ch'ao hua chcng-lu. 1735.