In Pursuit of Heavenly Harmony

Washington: Orchid Press/Freer, 2003. Subtitle: Paintings and Calligraphy by Bada Shanren. Bada Shanren, the enigmatic, eccentric monk-painter also known as Zu Da, created a wealth of beautiful and important paintings and calligraphy over the course of his life (1626-1705?). A princely descendent of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) imperial house, Bada Shanren developed a distinctive, evolving individual style of painting that had a profound and lasting influence on other calligraphers. Two prominent collector-scholars, Wang Fangyu and Sum Wai, were devoted to the collection and study of Bada Shanren's oeuvre. Their gift to the Freer Gallery of Art of twenty superb works by Bada Shanren and an extensive research collection of around 1,900 items, together with a further purchase of thirteen works from their collection, have made the Freer the unrivaled center for the exhibition and study of Bada's art. In the spring of 2003, an exhibition of these works will be on display in the Freer Gallery of Art; this book accompanies the exhibition and will have a life well beyond it, as it documents an important part of the museum's permanent collection. Text in English, with glossary and detailed descriptions of exhibits in bilingual English/Chinese. 222 pp., 113 colour and 16 b&w plates, illustrations of 36 seals and 12 signatures of the artist, chronology, glossary, bibliography of Asian and Western sources, index. First Edition. Hard Cover. As New/As New.