Landscape

Inscriptions

Inscription translated by Dr. Chan: Winter 1942, Hai-shu

Label

Liu Haisu’s otherworldly landscape, with its splendid hills and idle boater, seemingly contradicts the historical turmoil of the time. In the winter of 1942, China was going through a severe famine, which led to more than three million people dying from starvation throughout Henan Province. 

Liu’s portrayal of secluded life in nature carries a political message. The literati artists of 17th-century China expressed their resistance to the social turmoil of their time by retiring to nature and dedicating themselves to art. Liu, who wandered throughout Indonesia in 1942, likely expressed his concern for his country by adopting this traditional motif of scholarly reclusiveness. 

卅一年冬日呵凍來此 海粟

In the winter of the 31st year (of the Republic of China), laughter rings out as the cold sets in. Haisu.

From the 2024 exhibition Attitude of Coexistence: Non-Humans in East Asian Art, curated by Haely Chang, Jane and Raphael Bernstein Associate Curator of East Asian Art

Exhibition History

Attitude of Coexistence: Non-humans in East Asian Art, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, November 16, 2024-March 1, 2025.

Provenance

Collected by Professor Wing-Tsit Chan (1901-1994); sold to present collection, 1949.

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