Ni Yu (Ni Zan) Washes the Tong Tree, from the album Figures in Settings
Artist/Maker
Zhāng Hóng 张宏 / 張宏
(Chinese, 1577–1668)
Date1649
MediumAlbum leaf, ink and color on silk
DimensionsImage: 11 1/4 × 8 in. (28.6 × 20.3 cm)
Mount: 14 13/16 × 9 9/16 in. (37.6 × 24.3 cm)
Mount: 14 13/16 × 9 9/16 in. (37.6 × 24.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Carol S. Brooks in honor of her father, George J. Schlenker, and R. T. Miller Jr. Fund
PortfolioFigures in Settings
Object number1997.29.14C
Status
Not on viewTitle inscription: 倪迂洗桐
An immaculately dressed man in a peach-colored robe watches over young servants who are washing trees. Another servant near the man carries a censer to mask any foul odors that might offend him. The scene is cleverly composed, with implied diagonals creating a sense of space, and linking the man to the workers.
Ní Zàn 倪瓒 (1301–1374) was one of the most famous painters of the late Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), considered one of the “Four Great Masters of the Yuan.” However, he was also notorious for his obsessive cleanliness. This painting illustrates a popular story about the artist, in which he has his servants wash the trees in his garden. In the title he is referred to as Ní Yū; the term yū 迂 here may be taken as an unflattering nickname for the artist, meaning something like “quirky
ProvenanceDr. George J. Schlenker, Piedmont, California ¹ ² ³; by descent to Carol S. Brooks, Alameda, CA ⁴; by partial gift and purchase 1997 to Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH
Notes:
[1] Identifying the two collector's seals will help to determine prior history
[2] Selected and purchased by James Cahill, Professor of Art History, University of California, Berkeley, on behalf of his step-father George J. Schlenker
[3] Stored at the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum, where it was exhibited and used as a teaching aid by Professor James Cahill
[4] Daughter of George J. SchlenkerExhibition History
An immaculately dressed man in a peach-colored robe watches over young servants who are washing trees. Another servant near the man carries a censer to mask any foul odors that might offend him. The scene is cleverly composed, with implied diagonals creating a sense of space, and linking the man to the workers.
Ní Zàn 倪瓒 (1301–1374) was one of the most famous painters of the late Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), considered one of the “Four Great Masters of the Yuan.” However, he was also notorious for his obsessive cleanliness. This painting illustrates a popular story about the artist, in which he has his servants wash the trees in his garden. In the title he is referred to as Ní Yū; the term yū 迂 here may be taken as an unflattering nickname for the artist, meaning something like “quirky
New Acquisitions, 1996-1997
- Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (February 10, 1998 - March 22, 1998 )
The Cultured Landscape in China and Japan
- Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (February 6, 2007 - August 13, 2007 )
A Century of Asian Art at Oberlin: Chinese Paintings
- Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (June 6, 2017 - December 10, 2017 )
Collections
- Asian
The AMAM continually researches its collection and updates its records with new findings.
We welcome additional information and suggestions for improvement. Please email us at AMAMcurator@oberlin.edu.
We welcome additional information and suggestions for improvement. Please email us at AMAMcurator@oberlin.edu.
