Page 148 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

fig. 3A Taihu rock (lot 3041 detail) fig. 3B Taihu rock from Xiyi qiuting tu
எ " ទᐽ৅⡿㛑⎏എᴓ⒢ எ # Ƕ੧ᵉ☌ᄥஎǷ⡿㛑⎏എᴓ⒢

The central placement and larger size of the central seated figure implies that his म▼Ɽ⡠卿༡ዪमጻᝳ㱛Ꮅჺჺᝳ㱛ǯӶۣൈ
family status is of the highest importance. However, the sapphire mounted on his ᫉卿ݯӬᏛ⎻ᔍὸ೭卿ӬᏛ⯘ࢉ䁉ὸ⎏᧘᧙卿
hat, is not one that an emperor would wear, and does pose a serious protocol issue. ⛋⯝औӬზ㙣ݏႽᏛᑥ䁉ὸ೭۬⎏නጔӶ㋳⩧
It is possible that this may have been an honest mistake by a studio hand, and
भǯᗌ⒖卿Ὅ㋏ᛓ࢈՗㚍ᛓझ࢈ᘢ༈卿ݦ㩴ம
that as a preparatory painting thus the error was not corrected. Alternatively this
⻦ᝳӶཐ㯸ַ⎏⨿ℱݏ⡵䁉ὸ೭ǯ
oversight may have been due to the fact that this painting was an informal rather
than an official portrait. Ƕᛌᵉ☌ᄥஎǷݥ⊺ս༈ⱹஊ៣ἃఫទᦔஎ卿
ஊݤ⒢ᇎᝢᐙ卿ႛׁഎᴓǯⲋཆݯ⯝᫉⊺⏟Մ
When compared to details from the Beijing painting mentioned above, the
ཌᾅ卿Ӷ㫙⎉→߿ᜀ㛑֍Ԡ⏟ַ卿༰ᛓ⩫՞ཊ
composition of the present painting would also strongly indicate an imperial
ঀǯ㩶Ի㛑֍߄߃ၢ࿏⊶ᝳ߅ݣԠം卿ݦ⒢ヿ
connection as identified by the courtyard setting and the sitters. Perhaps the most
→Ꮫᯧᚺ㰆மऱ߅Ӭ㗂卻ॲ "ۣ#卼ǯ⩧ᘳ՘
tantalizing link is the identical Taihu rock in the foreground of both paintings.
Besides minor adjustments in the lower quadrants of the rock, it appears they ߿⒢㪖Ǯ⒢ᇎ⎏ݬऱ㿽ᝤᛓӶ㈲⩧઀ǯ
are almost identical (figs.3A&B). Similarly, the chrysanthemum-pattern pebble
⏟Մᐂ㇑⎏⡿㛑ᓼ⥾խᝳᙇ⽔ٿᇑӬᓽ厍㧏ಃ
pathways and natural rockwork steps that lead into the buildings in both paintings
ഌ↚⒢⎏Ӳஉེ⧲ᶴᦇ⏟㖅ᙻǶᛌᵉ☌ᄥஎǷ
are indicative of a similar imperial garden setting. Other similarities that are
ԋ⎏Ӳེᅴ⡚㫌ᶜ⧲ᶴᄍ厎ս㇛ᙹ㘆ഌ㙭ཎ⎏
worthy of note are the marbled and red-lacquered flower-bed surrounds; the
cranes dotting the background details all in a western linear perspective; and the 㘲㇬ࣥ↚׹⽔↚ᇌᜀԋ⎏㙭㽁厎█⡚ᆭ䂆㺨⡠
porcelain dragon and phoenix cups (underglaze red in lot 3042, underglaze blue ៀԠᙻǶᛌᵉ☌ᄥஎǷԋ⎏㬪Ɽ⡠ៀŸŸݦ⩢
in the Palace painting) each with identical silver or gold stepped covers and ingot- Ӷۣऱ᧙჌㞖Ꮅ㠤⸌卿ऱᛞ⎐⧡⏊ᙻ㠤㢰ᆨ⏊
shaped stands. Ꮴݤǯ

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