The work is based upon a famous poem of the late 11th century about the Misty River and Piled-up Peaks. It is signed Gao Kegong (1248-1310), who was a late 13th to early 14th century painter that worked in the Mi style (Mi Fu, Mi Youren) of misty mountains. The mounting is late 17th to early 18th century, which is probably the date of the painting.

Gao Kegong is a well-known painter of the early Yuan. Very few genuine works available, but there are a number of fakes. This definitely belongs in the latter category.

Professor Peter Sturman, University of California, Santa Barbara

Old number "L1780/20" is written in pencil on the backing paper.

The painted image itself is: 33 1/2 in. x 18 1/16 in.

There is an inscription on the right side of the painting by Ke Jiusi (possibly), which is a fake, and an inscription on the left side by Tu Qiong (15th century), which is also fake. The signature of Wang Feng, a Suzhou figure, appears in the left of the painting and is a fake. There is text above the painting signed Kangxi (Qing emperor Kangxi, r. 1662-1722), with a title, which is possibly genuine. The text to the right of the painting looks like it may be real also. There are seals at the bottom that read Chen (in the service of the Emperor) which look genuine.

The inscriptions on the painting all look problematic, though the later inscriptions on the mounting, including that of the well-known Qing calligrapher Liu Yong, are probably ok. This also includes the title and inscription by Emperor Kangxi at the top, dated 1711.

Professor Peter Sturman, University of California, Santa Barbara

Lightly brushed black ink on silk, with white silk above and below (bearing calligraphy and seals) and an off white silk brocade border (also bearing seals and calligraphy).

Mounted horizontal scroll depicting a scene of the Misty River (based on the poem). Hazy mountainous forms are pictured in the background, and a small cottage is depicted in the lower left of the foreground.

This object has the following keywords:

• Cottages
• Mountains
• Paintings

This object is a member of the following portfolios: