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The Small Cloud Dwelling

Lu Hui

Artwork Details

The Small Cloud Dwelling
1909
Lu Hui
Handscroll, ink and color on paper
10 ⅛ in x 58 11/16 in (25.72 cm x 149.07 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
1981/1.308

On Display

Not currently on display

Tags

Description

Title calligraphy: Picture of the Small Cloud Dwelling, made for the distinguished Mr. [Zhang] Bianchun. [Inscribed by] Zheng Xiaoxu (1860–1938)
Inscription, following the painting: The Small Cloud Dwelling occupies a corner of Mr. Dingfu's Green Surrounded Mountain Villa in Nanxun. His respected wife, Lady Pang, used to meditate and chant sutras there… In the 8th month, fall of 1909, Lu Hui completed this painting …
Two seals of the artist
Lu Hui was an early twentieth-century literati painter whose painting style draws on the Wu School and the art of the Four Wangs—famous painters of the seventeenth century who shared the same family name. To execute his work, Lu Hui preferred soft brushes and absorbent paper to achieve a subtle, hazy appearance.
This handscroll was commissioned by a wealthy Shanghai patron to memorialize his mother, a devout Buddhist, who meditated at “The Small Cloud Dwelling.” The tranquility of the breathtaking scenery transcends the chaotic material world, making this scroll a moving expression of the deep feelings of a bereaved son.
(Chinese Gallery Rotation, Spring 2009)

Subject Matter:

This handscroll was commissioned by a wealthy Shanghai patron to memorialize his mother, a devout Buddhist, who meditated at “The Small Cloud Dwelling.” The tranquility of the breathtaking scenery transcends the chaotic material world, making this scroll a moving expression of the deep feelings of a bereaved son. It includes a large title section, landscape image of the gargen, and a portion of calligraphic text.

Physical Description:

The piece includes a large title section, landscape image of the garden,
two seals of the artist, and a portion of calligraphic text.
The text reads: "The Small Cloud Dwelling occupies a corner of Mr. Dingfu's Green Surrounded Mountain Villa in Nanxun. His respected wife, Lady Pang, used to meditate and chant sutras there… In the 8th month, fall of 1909, Lu Hui completed this painting …"

Usage Rights:

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