An Old Man Walking by a Stream, with Distant Mountains
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Object Label
Wu Li, an acclaimed Qing dynasty painter, expressed himself through the styles of a select lineage of past artists. Here, sparse trees and an empty pavilion allude to Ni Zan (1301–1374), but Wu Li has reworked the dry, sketchy style of the Yuan dynasty master by incorporating loose, moist brushstrokes to create a richer tonality. Wu Li’s reinterpretation may have been influenced by an increasing awareness of Western artistic techniques, such as chiaroscuro and one-point perspective. Wu Li converted to Christianity in the 1670s, allowing him close contact with the missionaries who brought new images and skills to China from the West.
Caption
Wu Li Chinese, 1632–1718. An Old Man Walking by a Stream, with Distant Mountains, 1706. Ink and color on paper, image: 50 3/4 x 13 1/2 in. (128.9 x 34.3 cm) mount: 22 3/4 x 100 in. (57.8 x 254 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Asian Art Council, 1990.71. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1990.71_PS6.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
An Old Man Walking by a Stream, with Distant Mountains
Date
1706
Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
Period
Qing Dynasty
Geography
Place made: China
Medium
Ink and color on paper
Classification
Dimensions
image: 50 3/4 x 13 1/2 in. (128.9 x 34.3 cm) mount: 22 3/4 x 100 in. (57.8 x 254 cm)
Signatures
Signed: "Mojing daoren Wu Li"
Inscriptions
"Lonely old trees lean on a riverbank. new wabes hit the foot of rocks. Distant mountains hold the sunset, there is nobody in the autumn shadow of a thatched pavilion."
Markings
Inscribed with a poem, with two seals of the artist and five deals of various collectors.
Credit Line
Gift of the Asian Art Council
Accession Number
1990.71
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
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