Fish Play

Maker(s)
Artist: Wang Fangyu (1913-1997)
Historical period(s)
Modern period, 1981
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W (image): 35 x 68.5 cm (13 3/4 x 26 15/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Shao F. Wang in memory of his parents, Professor Wang Fangyu and Mrs. Sum Wai Wang
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S2002.7
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Album leaf

Keywords
China, fish, Modern period (1912 - present), Shao F. Wang collection
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

The title of Wang Fangyu's painting is rich in meaning. The term "fish play" refers not only to the way in which the indistinct background suggests water-a realm through which fish, or, in this painting, the written characters for the word "fish," move about freely in play-but also to the way in which Wang pays tribute to Bada Shanren, an artist whose paintings he had long studied and collected. Inspired by a fan painting in his collection entitled Small Fish, Wang Fangyu was able to emulate Bada creatively through a work that combines his own unique styles of calligraphy and painting.

Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art, Contemporary Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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