Title: Deer
Creator: Chen Hsiung-li
Date: 1993
Culture: Chinese
Medium: Ink and Color on Rice Paper
Dimensions: 52 x 26.5 in (133 x 67 cm.)
Repository: Charles Chu Collection, Connecticut College
Description: This piece depicts six deer in movement as they leap and bound across the page. The artist is able to capture their fluidity through loose and dynamic brushstrokes as well as the layering of ink which creates a sense of depth and texture. There is no color in this piece except for the seal, which draws the focus of the viewer to the shades of grey that create the moving figures of the deer. This image embodies the latter style of animal painting and shows the spirit and vivacity of these animals who in the artist’s mind came to represent peace and endearment. Deer are not an incredibly popular subject in Chinese art but Chen-Hsiung-li completed many different pieces of deer. The hanging scroll was created by Chen-Hsiung-li who began painting at 12 and later became a student of Li K’u Chan.
References
Photo Reference: Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives, https://collections.conncoll.edu/chu/cg72.html
Chu, Charles. “Animal Paintings .” Connecticut College Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives, Connecticut College, 2009, collections.conncoll.edu/chu/cg72.html.
