Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

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A pair of swallows flying over a pool

  • Description

    Liu Xiling (1848-1923) was from the region of present-day Sichuan province. He was active during the Guangxu period (1875-1908) of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). He toured extensively in China and was well known for his series of albums of landscapes and local customs. Liu started to paint with his fingers and palms after the age of 40, probably inspired by Gao Qipei (1660-1734). This painting is from an album of Liu's finger paintings. Swallows are one of his favourite subjects and he liked to depict birds flying towards the viewer, which was not common in Chinese bird painting. The inscription reads 'Swallows are twittering by a pool, willows swaying from the east wind.'

  • Details

    Associated place
    AsiaChina Zhejiang province (place of creation)
    Date
    1848 - 1923
    Qing Dynasty, Guangxu Period (1875 - 1908)
    Artist/maker
    Liu Xiling (1848 - 1923) (artist)
    style of Gao Qipei (1660 - 1734) (artist)
    Material and technique
    ink and colour on paper, probably finger painted
    Dimensions
    mount 40.6 x 55.9 cm (height x width)
    page 36.8 x 40.4 cm (height x width)
    painting 31.4 x 36.5 cm (height x width)
    Material index
    Technique index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Accession no.
    EAX.5345.c
  • Further reading

    Vainker, Shelagh, Chinese Paintings in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2000), no. 82 on p. 101, illus. p. 102 fig. 82c

Location

    • Second floor | Room 38 | China from 800

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