Artist: Wu Li (1632-1718)

Date: Qing (1644-1911)

Dimensions: Height 109.2 cm, Width 48.0 cm

Material: Ink on paper

• Object Type：
  • PAINTINGS
• Location：
  • The Painting and Calligraphy of Shanghai Gallery
• Tag：
  • cottage mountain hanging scroll wu li qing ink paper

Wu Li (1632-1718), also known by his zi (designated name) Yushan and hao (literary name) Mojing Daoren, was a native of Changshu (in present-day Jiangsu province). A master of landscape painting, he once traveled to Macao to study theology and later spent over thirty years as a missionary in Shanghai and other areas. This work was created for his friend Hou Kaiguo (ca. 1641-ca. 1710), with zi Danian and hao Feng'e. He was a descendant of the prominent Hou family of Jiading (in present-day Shanghai). During the Ming-Qing transition, many members of the Hou family died in the battles or committed suicide, such as Hou Tongzeng (1591-1645) and his two sons, who died defending their city. The painting depicts the mountain cottage of Feng'e, the studio built by Kaiguo, located beside the lotus pond where Hou Tongzeng died.

【Special Exhibition】 An Everlasting Spring: The Art of Painting and Calligraphy in Shanghai