Zhu Lunhan Active Circa 1680-1760

depicting an expansive vista with rocky hills and outcrops, punctuated by trees, pavilions and elegant compounds, a mist-shrouded sea to the far left, with an inscription which may be translated:



Your servitor; painted with fingers by Zhu Lunhan, bearing a seal

Chinese Paintings from the Henricksen Collection, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University; Tyler Art Gallery, State University of New York, Oswego, 5th September 2002 - 23rd February 2003, cat. no. 9, illustrated.

silk toned, some surface soiling and a few fly-spots, water-staining to the upper left of the scroll, abrasions at that end, a few scattered minor abrasions otherwise, mount degraded
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion. Illustrations in the catalogue may not be actual size. Prospective purchasers are reminded that, unless the catalogue description specifically states that a stone is natural, we have assumed that some form of treatment may have been used and that such treatment may not be permanent. Our presale estimates reflect this assumption.
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As Dr. Sewall Oertling notes, Zhu Lunhun, a descendant of the Ming royal family, served the Qing Court. He was the nephew of the renowned 'finger-painter', Gao Qipei, and, influenced by his uncle's mode of painting, Zhu used a fingernail modified as a pen to execute his paintings. The present work, with its combination of aggressive slashing strokes and lyrical touches of color, is likely to have been created using this 'finger[nail]-painting' method together with a brush. Like the previous painting by Su Yi, this handscroll is inspired by the 'Blue and Green' style, giving it an aura of the antique, and evoking a vista suggestive of the realm of the Immortals, where elegant structures punctuate the dramatic landscape. Oertling also suggests this work may have been executed for the court, as Zhu utilizes the character chen (courtier or servant) with his signature (op. cit. pp. 28-29).