Scholar and Pine Tree

Inscription:Burning incense, I face a tall pine. The pine and I became the host (subject) and guest (object). A sentence by Ni Zan. Painted by Xinluo Shanren in the Yun’e Nancui StudioBorn into a family of paper-makers in Fujian province, Hua Yan apprenticed in that line of work and his skills as an artist were put to use early in his life when he painted murals for the Hua family shrine. By 1704 he had settled in Hangzhou to make his living as a painter and was accepted into a prominent literati group there. Following his recovery from a severe illness in 1733, he found it difficult to make a living in Hangzhou, and from 1737 until 1745 he spent most of his time in Yangzhou living at the home of his patron Yuan Guotang or with other members of Yuan’s family. This is one of the few paintings extant from this period in his life. Here, a scholar leans against a large rock on which a small censer and an open book are placed; the scholar faces a tall pine tree whose height is exaggerated by the narrow, vertical format of the scroll. A wispy, tangled vine has entwined itself around the trunk of the rather battered tree. The pine tree, a symbol of nobility and endurance since it remains evergreen in all seasons, is also long-lived and its pairing here with the rock symbolizes longevity. The quoted line of poetry by Ni Zan and depiction of the devotional act of burning incense while meditating on the pine, has Chan Buddhist connotations.