Accession Number
1981/1.308

Title
The Small Cloud Dwelling

Artist(s)
Lu Hui

Object Creation Date
1909

Medium & Support
Handscroll, ink and color on paper

Dimensions
10 ⅛ in x 58 11/16 in (25.72 cm x 149.07 cm)

Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund

Label copy
Title calligraphy: Picture of the Small Cloud Dwelling, made for the distinguished Mr. [Zhang] Bianchun. [Inscribed by] Zheng Xiaoxu (1860–1938)
Inscription, following the painting: The Small Cloud Dwelling occupies a corner of Mr. Dingfu's Green Surrounded Mountain Villa in Nanxun. His respected wife, Lady Pang, used to meditate and chant sutras there… In the 8th month, fall of 1909, Lu Hui completed this painting …
Two seals of the artist
Lu Hui was an early twentieth-century literati painter whose painting style draws on the Wu School and the art of the Four Wangs—famous painters of the seventeenth century who shared the same family name. To execute his work, Lu Hui preferred soft brushes and absorbent paper to achieve a subtle, hazy appearance.
This handscroll was commissioned by a wealthy Shanghai patron to memorialize his mother, a devout Buddhist, who meditated at “The Small Cloud Dwelling.” The tranquility of the breathtaking scenery transcends the chaotic material world, making this scroll a moving expression of the deep feelings of a bereaved son.
(Chinese Gallery Rotation, Spring 2009)

Subject matter
This handscroll was commissioned by a wealthy Shanghai patron to memorialize his mother, a devout Buddhist, who meditated at “The Small Cloud Dwelling.” The tranquility of the breathtaking scenery transcends the chaotic material world, making this scroll a moving expression of the deep feelings of a bereaved son. It includes a large title section, landscape image of the gargen, and a portion of calligraphic text.

Physical Description
The piece includes a large title section, landscape image of the garden,
two seals of the artist, and a portion of calligraphic text.
The text reads: "The Small Cloud Dwelling occupies a corner of Mr. Dingfu's Green Surrounded Mountain Villa in Nanxun. His respected wife, Lady Pang, used to meditate and chant sutras there… In the 8th month, fall of 1909, Lu Hui completed this painting …"

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Primary Object Type
handscroll

Additional Object Classification(s)
Painting

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
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Keywords
calligraphy (process)
huts (houses)
landscapes (environments)
mountains
rivers