博
Artist: Wang Zhen (1867-1938)
Date: Qing (1644-1911)
Dimensions: Height 136.6 cm, Width 69.0 cm
Material: Ink and color on paper
Gift of Pang Weijin
Wang Zhen (1867-1938), also known by his zi (designated name) Yiting and hao (literary name) Bailong Shanren, was a native of Huzhou. An industrialist and social activist, he studied painting under Ren Yi in his youth, mastering subjects ranging from flowers, birds, and animals to figures and Buddhist icons. This scroll depicts Xuzhai holding a rabbit amid plum blossoms and cypress trees during the first day of the Year of the Rabbit, symbolizing fortune, longevity, and familial prosperity. Pang Yuanji (1864-1949), also known by his zi Laichen and hao Xuzhai, was a native of Huzhou who later resided in Shanghai. A prominent collector of painting and calligraphy, Pang compiled a catalogue of his collections, Famous Paintings of Xuzhai's Collection. This work was inscribed by Wu Changshuo. The combination of "Wang's painting and Wu's inscription" was celebrated in their time as the "Twin Treasures of Shanghai".
