Chen Hongshou 1598-1652

signed Hongshou, inscribed, with a dedication to Daoist Qieqian, and with one seal of the artist, hong shou, and seven collector's seals, shi yuan, bo xiong mi ji, tian mu shan ren, hou shi tai jian cang, yang zong zhi, sheng gu, zun gu tang zhen shang. Colophons by Wu Zi (1813-1858), dated dingmao of the Tongzhi reign (1867), and with one seal, wu zi zhi yin; Bao Dong, dated dingmao of the Tongzhi reign (1867), with two seals, zi liang fu, bao dong chang shou; and Wang Honglang, dated jimao of the Guanxu reign (1879), and with one seal, ji fu shen ding

Christie's Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy, November 29, 2009, Lot 816
Property from the Estate of Walter Hochstadter

Asia Society, Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, New York, March 3 to April 26, 2009

Artibus Asiae: Neo-Taoism and 'The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove' in Chinese Painting, Ellen Johnston Laing, 1974, pp. 46-48, pl. 34, 35
The Distant Mountains: Chinese Painting of the Late Ming Dynasty 1570-1644, James Cahill, New York: Weatherhill, 1982, pp. 256-257, pl. 135
The Compelling Image: Nature and Style in Seventeenth-Century Chinese Painting, James Cahill, Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 1982, fig. 4.34-4.35, pp. 130-134
ARS Orientalis 35, The World's a Stage: The Theatricality of Chen Hongshou's Figure Painting, by Shi-yee Liu, Washington D. C., Smithsonian Institution, 2008, pp. 170-172, pl. 20

-Restoration can be found here and there, particularly in the middle where the bamboos are, and the last 1/4 towards the end; however, the restoration was well carried-out, which makes the condition stable -The color of the actual piece appears to be less intense yet more elegant and vivid than the illustration
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Bao Dong's colophon:
I have seen two paintings by Laolian (Chen Hongshou), 'Yuchuan Tasting Tea,' and 'Mi Dian Bowing to a Stone.' I spent three days copying them, both to capture their appearance and to grasp the divine logic by which [these works] transcended heaven and earth. I pondered this for ten days and finally began to see the light. In painting figures Laolian relied totally on the methods of the Tang dynasty painters, which in turn had their origins in the portrait paintings of the Han period. By following these lofty standards he attained a firm foundation that most people throughout history could only dream of. His figures are lofty and archaic, as if they are wearing the hat and clothes of the Jin period, and their liveliness stems from something beyond brushwork. When rendering trees, rocks, and background elements, his lines are fine like gossamer, [firm] like seal-script, [natural] like the marks made by water leaking down a wall; truly marvelous! Moreover the landscape elements in this long handscroll flow together as if drawn forth from a single breath. It is as if his soul and his brush have been fused together in a furnace. The cognoscenti will appreciate this with no need for further explanation. In the dingmao year of the Tongzhi reign (1867) , on the birthday of the waterlily, recorded by Bao Dong, from north of the mountain.