Spring landscape
Ink and colour on paper, framed
Inscribed and signed Zheng Wuchang, with three seals of the artist
105.0 x 49.5cm
Footnotes
Provenance:
Private collection, England and Singapore, acquired as an engagement gift in 1942
Private collection, Sydney, acquired as a gift from the above during the 1980s
Accompanied by a translation of the inscription on a paper with letterhead "The China Navigation Co., Ltd.", where the first owner served as a ship caption
Accompanied by an auction valuation by Sotheby's New York dated 23 Aug 1991
鄭午昌 春飲迎棹 設色紙本 鏡框
款識:時當春季,携斗酒於柳蔭濃處,踞磯而坐,且吟且飲。黃鸝鳴嚶柳絲間,舉目遊視,碧水黃沙、翠嵐赭岸,無非詩境。遙見一舟迎面傳唱,有人則故友不約而來者,此景此情樂也何如。弱龕鄭午昌並記。
鈐印:弱龕、鄭昶之印、兩袖五湖烟雨
傳承:
英國/新加坡私人收藏,1942年訂婚紀念禮
悉尼私人收藏,約八十年代間得贈上述
附題識譯文,書於印有「The China Navigation Co., Ltd.」(太古輪船有限公司)信頭的信紙上,首任藏家曾任該公司船長
附紐約蘇富比於1991年8月23日出具的拍賣估價函
China Navigation Co. 是太古集團(Swire Group)遠東船運部門的運營名稱。太古集團,1816年建立于利物浦,清朝時期即在中國從事進出口貿易。藉由五口通商,在同光年間勢力範圍廣達長江至珠江多口岸,直至三十年代末,羽翼蔭及幾内亞。二戰期間,其旗下位於滬港的工廠、船塢及輪船受到重創。1942年,該幅鄭午昌《春飲迎棹》原主即在此歷史背景下停泊于新加坡。因其英國背景,故將款識翻譯。