A ‘PEONY AND ROCK’ PAINTING BY WU CHANGSHUO, DATED 1921

Ink and color on paper, mounted to a brocade coated paper scroll with wooden handles. Accompanied by an inscribed Japanese wood box, noting the painting was mounted in Showa 10 (1935), Japanese private collection

China, dated 1921

This original artwork by Wu Changshuo is signed by the artist ‘Laofou Changshuo’, dated ‘at the age of seventy-eight’ (1921), and bears two artist's seals ‘Wu Changshi’ and ‘Wu Jun zhi yin’. Depicted is one of the artist’s most well-known subjects ‘Peonies and rock’. With free brushstrokes the flowers show a vivid pink color and expressive leafage. They are growing from a blueish-grey rock formation.

Wu Changshuo (September 12, 1844 – November 29, 1927) was a prominent painter, calligrapher and seal artist. Initially, he devoted himself to poetry and calligraphy with a strong interest in early scripts. He also led the Xiling Society of the Seal Art, an academic organization for Hangzhou-based seal artists. Only later did he consider himself a painter associated with the "Shanghai School." As a painter, he was noted for helping to rejuvenate the art of painting flowers and birds. He considered carving seals and doing paintings to be integrated to each other. His work was highly regarded in Japan.

Shape: Rectangular vertical shape
Dimensions: 150,5 x 39,3 cm (painting size), 205 x 61 cm (mounting)
Condition: The painting is in good condition. Slight traces of age and wear, in the form of creases and moldy spots, are discernible
Provenance: Japanese private collection

Auction result comparison: Christie’s, Fine Chinese Modern Paintings, 25 - 26 November 2013, Hong Kong, lot 1361. (for a comparable, slightly smaller, Peony and rock painting by Wu Changshuo)

吳昌碩”牡丹靈石”豎幅，1921年
紙本水墨設色，紙本裝裱，立軸
附日式木雕盒，盒上註記此畫於昭和10年(1935)裝裱，此木盒為日本私人收藏。

畫上落款”老夫昌碩，年七十八”，並有”吳昌石”與”吳俊卿印”兩印，推斷此豎幅於1921年所畫。此豎幅主題為吳昌碩著名的”牡丹靈石”，豪放筆觸下的牡丹更具磅礡之氣勢。

吳昌碩(1844年9月12 – 1927年11月29)是一位傑出的畫家，同時善於書法、篆刻。早期他熱愛書法創作，吟詩作對。於1904年創辦了”西泠印社”。晚年，被認為是”海上畫派”代表人物之一。同時，他的作品在日本也被高度推崇。

形狀：立軸
尺寸：150.5 x 39.9 厘米 (畫面)，205 x 61 厘米 (含裝裱)
品相良好，有輕微的年代和磨損痕跡，有些摺痕及霉斑。
日本私人收藏
類似拍品：另一幅吳昌碩牡丹靈石畫作，參考佳士得《中國近現代畫》，2013年11月25日及26日，香港，拍品編號1361。