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The Garden for Solitary Enjoyment | musefully
Qiu Ying. The Garden for Solitary Enjoyment, 1515–52. Handscroll; ink and slight color on silk, Painting: 28 x 518.5 cm (11 x 204 1/8 in.); Overall: 32 x 1290.2 cm (12 5/8 x 507 15/16 in.). John L. Severance Fund, 1978.67. CC0.
The Garden for Solitary Enjoyment
1515–52
Qiu Ying
Qiu Ying (Chinese, 1494–1552)
Chinese Art
The Garden for Solitary Enjoyment, 1515–52. Qiu Ying (Chinese, 1494–1552). Handscroll; ink and slight color on silk; painting: 28 x 518.5 cm (11 x 204 1/8 in.); overall: 32 x 1290.2 cm (12 5/8 x 507 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1978.67
Inscription: Accompanying text of an essay together with seven poems of Ssu-ma Kuang and one poem of Su Shih written by Wen Zhengming in 1558.
2 colophons and 82 seals: 4 seals of Wen Zhengming 文徵明 (1470–1559); 59 seals of Xiang Yuanbian 項元汴 (1525–1590); 1 colophon, dated 1644, and 7 seals of Xiang Yukui 項禹揆 (c. late 1500s–1659); 1 colophon, dated 1880, and 2 seals of Weng Tonghe 翁同龢 (1830–1904); 2 seals of Ch'eng Chen-i (19th c.); 1 seal of Han Ch'ung (19th c.); 4 seals of Wan-go H. C. Weng 翁萬戈 (1918–2020); 3 seals unidentified. Inscription: Colophon by Xiang Yukui 項禹揆 (c. late 1500s–1659):
The painting of The Garden for Self-enjoyment on the right by Shih-chou, Mr. Qiu [Qiu Ying] is in the style of Li Lung-mien. Its mood is peaceful, as if meeting the ancient gentlemen face to face among the brushes and silk; it lifts one above the sordid bustle of life. Formerly, my late father handed me this scroll which had only the painting without the written essay. I considered asking a good calligrapher to write the essay to add to it but was afraid that the quality of the writing would not match the painting. Several years later, I saw at a friend's house this essay and poems (of Ssu-ma Kuang] written by Hengshan [Wen Zhengming], once owned by my grandfather; so I spared no expense to obtain it. I rejoiced at this and said: "The divine swords are finally united. How things are pre-destined!" Now my friend Chang Kung-chao's technique for mounting [painting and calligraphy] is excellent. Therefore by daring to take them out and join them together, I can preserve this beautiful story of singular reunion.
Xiang Yukui recorded at Hai-yeh-t'ang [hall] two days before New Year's Eve in the jiasheng year of the Chongzhen era [1644].
trans. LYSL/HK/WKH
