Eagle

Artist/Culture Feng Yichu (Chinese, late 17th century – first half of the 18th century)

Dateabout 1675 to about 1740

Mediumink on silk

Dimensionsimage: 144.62 x 65.41 cm. (56 15/16 x 25 3/4 in.)
overall: 215.4 x 79.1 cm. (84 13/16 x 31 1/8 in.)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineGift of Miss Florance Waterbury

Terms

Object number1957.167

DescriptionThe inscription informs the viewer that the painting had been "sketched with the thumb by Xue Yen Feng Yichu." The artist Feng Yichu, who was known for his landscape and flower paintings, had used the individualistic technique of painting which had been pioneered by his contemporary, Kao Qipei (1672-1734). The new method involved using the balls of fingers and the side of the hand, all dipped in ink, in order to render dabs, broad streaks and even washes of ink. Thin lines were drawn by means of fingernails which had been grown to extra lengths and split (like the pen-nibs.) Yichu's confident virtuosity is evident in his depiction of the eagle, a symbol of strength in China. The bird is perched on a branch, intently searching for prey in the vegetation below.
Label TextEAGLE Feng Yichu, act. late 17th-first half of the 18th century Hanging scroll, ink on silk Signed: Xue Yen Feng Yichu Seal: Daogao Gift of Florance Waterbury, 1957.167 The inscription informs the viewer that the painting had been "sketched with the thumb by Xue Yen Feng Yichu." The artist Feng Yichu, who was known for his landscape and flower paintings, had used the individualistic technique of painting which had been pioneered by his contemporary Kao Qipei (1672-1734). The new method involved using the balls of fingers and the side of the hand, all dipped in ink, in order to render dabs, broad streaks and even washes of ink. Thin lines were drawn by means of finger-nails which had been grown to extra lengths and split (like the pen-nibs). Yichu's confident virtuosity is evident in his depiction of the eagle, a symbol of strength in China. The bird is perched on a branch, intently searching for prey in the vegetation below.ProvenanceMiss Florance Waterbury, New York NY

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