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Hi All,
I would like to post a painting I purchased and request a translation (hopefully an identifiable maker) and hopefully get some comments on what you think of it. Chinese paintings are not really my area of expertise - while I do find them extremely beautiful in their complex simplicity, they frustrate me to no end and there are probably more copies out there than there are of Qianlong Imperial porcelain vases. The fact that I cannot easily read simple Chinese (mostly memorized marks only), let alone zhuashu seal script OR calligraphic script drives me even more insane when it comes to identification. The worst part is I tell myself "I wont buy anymore paintings!" and then somehow I end up finding (and buying) MORE! It's a very viscous cycle which I am sure I am not alone in. So I will be posting a few of my recent finds hoping to get some translation and some insight to someone here who's knowledgeable in Chinese and paintings.
So the painting attached I found and had a hard time justifying buying it to myself and passed by it a few times until I decided "just buy it". I actually really love the wood frame and its quite large (22"x36.5"), so my justification was that even if the painting isn't worth anything, the frame is definitely worth the price! I ended up really loving the painting also, I love the low misty cloud effect and the use of technique in Chinese paintings to depict an almost aethereal dream-like scene (Zhang Daqian, being one of my favorites who uses this technique with beautiful bright colors). It is a watercolor on paper. It has some age as there's a couple foxing marks starting, so if its worth it I will have to replace the card backing causing this. Any ideas on the age would also be helpful. It is set in a nice off-white silk brocade pattern & gold edge trim. I'm assuming the calligraphy part is a poem, or scenic description/title of the subject matter. I am sure one of the red seal marks is a date, if someone could translate them all that would be amazing. Please excuse the glare from the glass, I tired to minimize reflections as much as possible.
Final question, does anyone have a recommendation for a resource book that dives into to Chinese painting seals & marks? Something like Gerald Davison's book for Ceramics? I have Victoria Contag's book Seals of Chinese Painters and Collectors but its only for Ming & Qing (but it's written in Wade–Giles romanization not pinyin making it even MORE frustrating to use). Does anyone know of any books that are post Qing->Republic->PROC for painting seal marks?
Thank you all for your help!
D.
I'd like a book like that, too. A comment which probably tells you I can't help, sorry. There is a website that has artists signatures and monograms but I don't know if that covers Chinese artists. I don't think it does, but one would be useful!
I too wish there was a good book for this, though admittedly I wish there was one for obscure western artists as well, most databases focus on ones with sales records. I constantly find myself buying new paintings (all western 17th century through 1950s.... such a crazy range), but I can't help myself, even though I currently have three in different stages of conservation on my work bench and easel and a massive stack growing of soon to be listed, listed, and possibly keep paintings. Just this morning I came across an illegibly signed impressionist painting, I think is very nice, and I likely will buy it even though it likely will take a million years to sell.
Just keep buying what you find beauty in is I guess all I'm saying.
As for seals and signatures, It probably was a few years ago now, time is totally flying by, but if you search on here someone posted a link to as site with thousands of seals and who they were attributed to. I will try and look this evening when I get back from the shop. The problem I ran into was when I translated the page I could no longer compare the Kanji because they were then in English. I am sure that was just a "Me" problem.
Anyways, that one is very well painted and I look forward to hearing who painted it.
Cheers,
Jeremy
P.S.
when you think you have too many paintings compare it to this... then feel better about your compulsion... ( this is just a portion of the downstairs collection, if you can even call it that.):
1. "江山万石爱看？庚午春 石帝- river, mountains, ten thousand stones, love to see something (the character I am not sure). Gengwu which is 1990, 1930, ..... Spring. Shidi (artist)
3. 石帝 the seal is for Shidi (the artist). cannot read #2.
From style of painting and characters, I think it's 1990 spring.
Totally agreed with Jeremy: buying what you find beauty. There are tons of artists (Chinese & Western) did/ have not make to the top list with talents, and their names were/are nowhere to find.
Hope it helps.
Yin
It is nice to have options, I tired of two hanging and switched to two Indonesian watercolors from Puncuk (mountains near Jakarta). I bought an old watercolor of a Dutch windmill and boat because it had an arts and crafts style frame, but the gesso on the frame needs repairing and the watercolor is water damaged, I bought it at an estate sale in the eighties and have not repaired it yet, but can't bring myself to get rid of it. 😊
Hi Jeremy:) @jbeer2121
If you buy this impressionist painting, please show it to me:) I'm really curious, I always try to figure out the artist, but it is really hard, I rebuilt a camera for this, but often it doesn't even help to guess the signature, or the painting doesn't have at all:
Is this showing the ghost painting, before it was overpainted with a different painting? I have overpainted my own canvases, but I have heard of people going to thrift stores and buying canvases and overpainting them, because it is cheaper than buying new canvas. I could never bring myself to do that but I have used unusal blank items to paint on, like cork board.
Yes, I think, but an x-ray machine would be nice:)
@yinchris Ah! I set my post to send me notification when I got a response but it never sent me an email confirming anyone responded and I went on summer vacation and forgot I had posted this on here. Thank you thank you thank you @yinchris. I appreciate your translation - sorry for the belated response! I am just now starting to learn more about Chinese painting (and calligraphy) since I keep finding more paintings (I just have to have, of course) I figured I might as well learn something about them.
@jbeer2121 it definitely pains me to say we probably have comparable states of compulsion! I just can't sell anything until I know exactly what it is... and even then...
Yin’s translation is correct as usual. Dated Spring 1990 and signed Shi Di. (King of the Rocks).
George
@gfhandel Thanks for the confirmation. The piece has this type of green-blue cardboard backing, is this type of backing a 90's material they would use? I ask because I have a few other framed paintings with identical backings. Are you able to decipher seal #2?
George, need help here. After second look, here is what I can tell:
1. 1. "江山万石？？影。 庚午春 石帝
2. 朴惠菩岛
3. 石帝
4. 吉羊
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