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Beautiful story scroll Would like to identify it

This is a contemporary printed imitation of Yuan-Ming handscrolls, this one's subject matter being scenes from a palace of immortals, supposedly painted/inscribed by Yun Shouping, an early Qing painter best known for his flowers. No commercial value. You can see similar examples of palace scenes by searching on Yuan painter Wang Zhenpeng and Ming painter Qiu Ying's "Han Palace", or Song painter Mou Yi's "Pounding Cloth". For buildings in rocky landscapes, search for Qing painters Yuan Yao and Yuan Jiang, or Ming painter "Tang Yin handscroll".

Anne Clapp has a small book called Commemorative Landscape Painting in China that has a number of attractive photos of such Ming handscrolls that you might enjoy as well.

Thank you so much for the reply. This scroll has such calming and peaceful scenery that palace of immortals sounds perfect. I think I will cut out my favorite parts and frame them. I would like to hang the whole scroll but it is over 10 feet long. I was pretty sure it was a copy (it had a staple holding the string) but at least I have learned a little more about the amazing Chinese art culture.

Hi Mary, before you cut it up, I'd suggest you try viewing it first as a Chinese handscroll is meant to be viewed, in small segments that you can contemplate one by one and move forward and backward in. See the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPmED0GbYUs

As Mike does in the video, open a section about a shoulder's width apart by pulling from the right as you roll up what has already been viewed. By focusing on a short section you can both appreciate more what the artist has to offer in a smaller "frame", but also notice transitions in spatial depth, patterns of light and dark, dry and wet, fullness and emptiness, etc. You may notice that, wherever you choose to begin or end your picture frame, that section of the handscroll very often becomes a complete picture in and of itself. Your scroll may convey less than a museum piece will, but I suspect you will find it a rewarding way to observe what it has to offer.

For more (famous) handscrolls (both Chinese and Japanese) that can be viewed in excellent detail, see: http://scrolls.uchicago.edu/browse?page=1

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