Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Lingnan Masters: South Chinese Painting in Transition 1800–2000

(from 6th Aug 2013 until 23rd Feb 2014)

Discover the mastery of the Lingnan School of painting in China over the last 200 years.

Detail of ‘Lychees and cicada', by Chen Shuren, Hong Kong, 1928 (Museum no: EA2002.72)
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Lychees and cicada

  • Description

    Chen Shuren was born in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. He is regarded as one of the “Three Masters of the Lingnan School”. The other two are Gao Jianfu (1879-1951) and Gao Qifeng (1889-1933). The three all studied painting under Ju Lian (1828-1904) in Guangzhou and then in Japan. Ju Lian’s careful, realistic, brightly coloured style had a visible impact on his students’ works. This painting is in xieyi style, depicting lychees with a cicada. Lychees are symbolic of summer fruit, particularly in the Guangzhou area, and were a popular topic for Lingnan School artists. In this composition the main lychee is arranged at the top of the painting with a branch spreading to the left corner. The signature and inscription can be seen at the lower right. A cicada resting on a lychee sums up the summer atmosphere of summer in the south.

  • Details

    Associated place
    AsiaChina Hong Kong (place of creation)
    Date
    1928
    Artist/maker
    Chen Shuren (1884 - 1948) (artist)
    Chen Shuren (1884 - 1948) (calligrapher)
    Cigao (active c. 1928) (dedicatee)
    Material and technique
    ink and colour on paper
    Dimensions
    mount 190 x 52 cm (height x width)
    painting 54 x 37 cm (height x width)
    along roller 61 cm (length)
    rolled 6 cm (diameter)
    Material index
    Technique index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Presented in honour of the 70th birthday of Angelita Trinidad Reyes, 2002.
    Accession no.
    EA2002.72

Past Exhibition

see (1)

Location

    • currently in research collection

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