Master of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat

titleslip: titled, dated 1993 and marked with two seals of the artist
signed, inscribed, and marked with nine seals of the artist

Acquired directly from the artist
Private American collection

Overall in good condition with minor foxing scattered throughout image. Overall dimensions: 281.5 by 129 cm including scroll ends.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Born in Wimbledon, England, in 1943, "the Master of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat,” is a distinguished collector and dealer, and an eminent scholar of traditional Chinese aesthetics and their manifestation in art. In the past three decades he has not only   uncovered several important contemporary Chinese ink artists, he has also discovered his own artistic voice through ink painting. The attention to detail that he brought to the collecting of snuff bottles, imperial ceramics and scholarly works of art indeed permeates his own painting styles of rocks, scholarly objects and imaginary landscapes. Akin to the finest literati painters of Chinese history, his works express his own animus, rather than seeking to achieve a formal likeness.

Filling the painting with his evocative ‘calligraphic’ English to transcribe his own sentiments for the landscape, the artist explores ink painting through a Western neo-literati lens. His writings are accompanied by selected poems from the Tang dynasty monk Han Shan, “Cold Mountain,” describing his own journey across the peaks. Han Shan was a Buddhist hermit who begged for food at temples, sang and drank with cowherds, and became one of the most revered poets in history—an immortal figure in Chinese literature and Zen Buddhism alike. Inspired by this legendary figure, The Hermit of Cold Mountain depicts a monk meditating amidst the rocks, trees and streams of the Tiantai Mountains. Together with the English descriptions, the final effect is as much an homage to the Chinese literati tradition, as it is a testament to the scholarly sensitivities of the Master of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat.