Enjoying Inkstones, Hanging Scroll
Huang Shen
Qing Dynasty
- MEDIUM:Ink and color on paper
- FORMATS:Hanging scroll
- DIMENSIONS:Height 196 cm; Width 105.2 cm
Introduction
Huang Shen favoured the theme of “enjoying inkstones” and painted numerous works depicting this aspect of literati life. This scroll reflects his mature style. The figures stand in profile, attentively examining an ancient inkstone: their expressions vivid and gestures precise. Clothing folds are rendered with rhythmic, confident brushwork; outlines are drawn first, followed by subtle washes of ink and colour, creating a sense of depth and classical simplicity. A long cursive inscription in the upper left corner is lively and unpretentious, harmonizing seamlessly with the painting. According to the inscription, the inkstone depicted was a gift from the Qing calligrapher and painter Ding Youyu, who described this inkstone as “seems to have stepped on the depths of celestial waters to strike a dragon’s tail, yet its marks remain strikingly vivid even after a thousand years.” Huang Shen cherished it deeply, treating it as a treasured object, and painted it to express his admiration.
The scroll was once in the collection of the modern painter Jiang Xuanyi.
