photo: Masatsugu Nokubo
On view
Asian Art
Huo Pavilion
Christina Lee Gallery
Huo Pavilion
Christina Lee Gallery
Zhong Kui 鍾馗圖,
18th century
Min Zhen 閔貞, 1730–after 1791; born Nanchang, China; active Hubei province, China
Chinese
Qing dynasty, 1644–1912
1997-38
The mythical demon-queller Zhong Kui peers out of the painting astride a large guardian lion-dog. Zhong Kui’s legend dates to the Tang dynasty (618–907), and by the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) he was popularly depicted in paintings as a large man clad in slightly shabby robes, with an unruly beard and deep-set eyes. This painting’s artist, Min Zhen, was associated with a circle of painters known as the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou. As the name implies, they espoused a painting style that was unorthodox and highly unusual. Here, instead of placing his figures in a legible arrangement and emphasizing Zhong Kui’s physical strength, Min Zhen created an eccentric image that sees Zhong Kui, his lion-dog, and an attendant crouched low, in a tight interlocking arrangement formed by a wildly diverse range of brushstrokes, devoid of back-
ground details.
ground details.
Information
Title
Zhong Kui 鍾馗圖
Dates
18th century
Maker
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Painting: 116.4 x 57.7 cm. (45 13/16 x 22 11/16 in.)
Mount: 245.3 x 74.7 cm. (96 9/16 x 29 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Anonymous gift in honor of Constance Tang Fong and Wen C. Fong, Class of 1951 and Graduate School Class of 1958
Object Number
1997-38
Place Made
Asia, China
Signatures
signed: "Painted by Min Zhen” (Min Zhen hua 閔貞畫)
Marks/Labels/Seals
Artist, “Min Zhen” 閔貞, square intaglio
Artist, “Zhengzhai” 正齋, square intaglio
2 artist's seals: 1 square yin "Min Zhen"; 1 square yang "Zhengzhai"
Two tags attached to rolled scroll
Culture
Period
Materials
Subject
–1950s (China), acquired by private collection.
1950s–1997 Private collection, by gift to the Princeton University Art Museum, 1997.
1950s–1997 Private collection, by gift to the Princeton University Art Museum, 1997.
