ID Number

Title

Item Name

Culture

Manufacturing Technique

Date Made

Maker

Place Made

Collector

Date Owned

Owner

Acquisition Date

Source

Source

Measurements

Item Classes

Condition

Accession Number

Description

Copy of an older original painting by Wen Zhengming. The scene shows two men, the artist (Wen Zhengming) and his student Wang Chong, bidding farewell in a farmer’s garden. Colours in the image are brown, green, pink, and grey. A pale yellow-beige coloured silk damask, with cloud patterns, frames the image. Red Chinese characters in both bottom corners, and red and black characters in upper left corner.

History Of Use

This is a later copy of the original work Farewell at the Halting Clouds Lodge (停雲館言別圖), by Wen Zhengming (文徵明). Wen Zhengming made the original painting for his student and long-time friend Wang Chong (王寵) (1494-1533), when he went to Nanjing in 1531 for the civil service examinations. The original painting was made at Wen Zhengming’s studio on the Wen family property that he had inherited from his father. This location appears in other paintings by Wen Zhengming, the earliest is Sitting Feasting in the Halting Clouds Lodging with Xu Changguo, from 1499.

Narrative

This copy is dated to the late Ming or early Qing dynasty period. This painting is one of several extant versions of a painting by Wen Zhengming 文徵明 (1470-1559) titled Farewell at the Halting Clouds Lodge (停雲館言別圖). The other versions are in the collections of the following institutions: Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Berlin (dated 1531; this version seems to have the same inscription as MOA but spaced differently); Shanghai Museum (dated 1527); Tianjin Art Museum (dated 1531); National Palace Museum, Taipei (dated 1523), under the title Pure Conversation in Green Shade (綠陰清話). The understanding of the distinction between the original and copy in Chinese art, especially in literati painting or calligraphy is important as the production of these art forms entails a process of copying. A “copy” is not necessarily considered derogatory. Works by Wen Zhengming were widely copied during his own time as well, which resulted in countless reproductions. This painting was purchased in 1961 by the Museum, on the advice of Dr. Ping-ti Ho.

Iconographic Meaning

Inscription (/ indicates the end of vertical lines on the painting): 春來日日雨兼風雨過春歸綠更穠 / 白首已無朝市夢蒼苔時有故人蹤 / 意中樂事樽前鳥天際修眉郭外 / 峰可是別離能作態尚堪老眼送飛 / 鴻 / 履仁將赴南雍過停雲館言別輙 / 此奉贈辛卯五月十日徵明. Seal following the inscription: 徵明 (Zhengming). Translation: Spring is coming and day after day (brings) rain and abundant wind, When rain passes and spring returns, greens grow intensely. (This) white headed (elderly man) no longer dreams of court and market (i.e. fame and profit), Green moss sometimes bears footprints of the ancients (ancestors). According to my wish for pleasure, a wine jar is set before the birds. On the horizon like long eyebrows, are the peaks beyond the city walls, But departure can make for a sinister occasion. And yet, these old eyes send off a flying goose. Lüren (Wang Chong) is going to the Imperial College in Nanjing and passed by Halting Clouds Studio to say farewell. I present this (painting) as a gift. On the tenth day of the fifth month in the xinmao-year (1531), Zhengming.