Bird on A Rock after Bada Shanren

Ju Lian, courtesy name Shigang, art names Guquan and Geshan Laoren, was a native of the Geshan County of Panyu, Guangdong province. Having learned from his elder cousin Ju Chao (1811-1865) and copied works by Song Guangbao and Meng Jinyi, he looked further back in time to emulate Yun Shouping (1633-1690) of the early Qing and developed his own artistic style. Ju was an expert painter of flowers and birds known for his meticulous brushwork and refreshing palette. The “Two Jus” (Ju Lian and Ju Chao) left a lasting legacy by inspiring the founders of the Lingnan School of painting.

The current piece’s economical composition and nuanced brushwork depicting a bird on a rock rolling its eyes show close resemblance to the works of Bada Shanren (1626-1705). The piece is unsigned but bears a seal that says “imitation by Guquan”. According to the inscription by Deng Erya (1884-1954) dated 18 August, 1931, this work was originally in the collection of Keyuan in Dongguan, Guangdong province. The Ju cousins served in the private secretariat of the owner of Keyuan, the official Zhang Jingxiu. After retiring from military service with Zhang, the cousins had been the guest of the owner and lived in Keyuan for almost ten years (1856-1864), during which they produced many masterpieces of still life paintings by studying the flora and fauna in Keyuan, which went into the collection of Zhang. The present specimen should be one of them, which bears witness of Ju Lian’s broad source of inspiration for his art, as well as his prime years practising art in Keyuan.