Listening to the Singing of Orioles
Mount: 73 3/4 × 18 1/4 inches (187.33 × 46.36 cm)
- 202
Chinesische Malerei, Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, 1949-50, no. 128.
Austellung Chinesische Malerei 15-20 Jahrhundert [Exhibition of Chinese painting of the 15th – 20th , Kunstsammlungen der Stadt Düsseldorf 1950, no. 118.
Flowers to Frost: Four Seasons in East Asian Art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, January, 5 – July 17, 2016.
“At the hill slope after rain, the orioles sing a fresh melody;
Wind flow across from the hill ridges, arising the fragrance of grass.”
—Wang Sanxi
In this mountain scene, the crisp contour of boulders contrasts against a chilly river. Distant peaks, drawn in pale ink, are visible in the background. Below, two orioles’ birdsong echoes throughout the still river valley. In some Chinese paintings, the season is unclear. The artist notes in the inscription that he made this work in the wintertime, and the atmosphere might appear wintry. However, the poem and foliage suggest that it may be springtime. Take another look—what season do you think it may be?
Victoria Contag van Winterfeldt, Germany.
Inherited by her Daughter, Beatrix Freifrau Riedesel Zu Eisenbach;
Purchased from Beatrix Freifrau Riedesel Zu Eisenbach by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1975.
Victoria Contag, Chinesische Malerei, Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe (Hamburg: 1949-50), 51, no. 113.
Victoria Contag, Chinesische Malerei, Kunstsammlungen der Stadt Düsseldorf (1950), p. 31, no. 118.
