Page 114 - Bonhams Art from the Scholar's Studio, September 16, 2013 NY

8161 (detail)

Property from the Estate of Georgia Cash Collection of Dr. Philip Gould

8161 8162
Attributed to Tang Dai (1673-1755) Various Artists
Scenes of Flood Relief and Prevention Album of Landscapes, Birds and Insects
Eleven album leaves, ink and color on paper, mounted, one leaf inscribed Album of twenty-eight leaves, each ink and color on paper, each leaf
chen Zhou Fang Tang Dai with two seals reading chen and Dai. bearing either a collector’s seal or an artist’s seal, the final leaf bearing an
13 9/16 x 15 7/8in (34.4 x 40.3cm) each inscription dedicating the leaf to Zhuting (Qian Daxin, 1728-1804) and
$5,000 - 7,000 signed Huang Yi (1744-1802) followed by a seal reading Xiaosong hua.
11 x 7 1/2in (28 x 19.5cm), each leaf
無名氏 水災圖 設色紙本 册頁十一開 $4,000 - 6,000

This group of album leaves contains a highly unusual subject matter 諸家 山水草虫 設色紙本 册頁二十八開
in the history of Chinese painting. Depicting dramatic action scenes of
flood victims, official flood relief efforts, and flood prevention methods,
these scenes also include peasants watching an opera next to an eroding
riverbank, flood destruction, the rescue of flood victims, the distribution
of food, the arrival of supply-laden camel trains, and the construction
of dykes or dams. Given the proclivity of the Qing academy to use court
artists to depict official events and didactic themes, it is likely the leaves
are preparatory sketches for a hand scroll or album, perhaps for use as an
official illustrated record of a natural disaster.

112 | Bonhams