Height: 76 1/2" Width: 26 3/4" Shen Zhou (鄭燮, 1427-1509), Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), framed Chinese traditional painting, signed and dated; in the year of Jiachen (ca. 1484).Expansive ink-and-wash landscape painting displaying both mastery of texture (Cunfa) and dotting techniques (Dianfa), by Shen Zhou (1427-1509). Shen Zhou played a pivotal role in the artistic community, and eventually founded the famous Wu School in Suzhou. Shen was a devote student of the Yuan dynasties artistic techniques. In this painting a dry application of ink forming the fields, imitates the natural texture of the earth. Trees shoot forth from the ground, gradually tapering in size from the trunk, to branch, and finally the slender twigs. A stippling technique was used to produce the burgeoning foliage which gives a sense of the breeze passing through the tree-tops. A bustling village with various activities depicted give this painting a lively quality. Semi-cursive script calligraphy lines the top edge followed by the artists red seal. The brush is penetrating yet stable, the characters upright and well-spaced. The style resembles Huang Tingjian’s (黃庭堅, 1045-1105), but with Shen's own slightly heavier mannerism.PROVENANCE: From the heirloom collections of Wu Guozhen (吳國楨; October 21, 1903-June 6, 1984) was a Chinese political figure and historian, government official who served as mayor of Hankow (1932-1938), mayor of Chung-king (1939-1941), political vice minister of foreign affairs (1943-45), mayor of Shanghai (1946-1948), and governor of Taiwan (1950-1952) and the former Chairman of Taiwan Provincial Government. He resigned in 1953 and went to the United States, charging that Taiwan was becoming a police state.K.C. Wu lived in the United States where he served as professor of Chinese history at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia. During his time in the United States, he wrote various works, including a detailed analysis on Chinese culture in the context of mythology and early history in his book The Chinese Heritage.Wu is remembered mainly for his vital role in the formation of a liberal modern Taiwan and his anti-communist beliefs typical of a member of Kuomintang, but he is also remembered for his brave anti-Kuomintang rhetoric and turbulent disagreements with the more Russian-styled second President of Taiwan.The Collections of Wu Guozhen (吳國楨) presented and offered up to auctions ON DAY-1: from Lot-97 through Lot-127, continued from Lot-219 through Lot-255. ON DAY-2: from Lot-354 through Lot-377, continued from Lot-451 through Lot-480.LOT NOTES: Shen Zhou (鄭燮; 1427-1509), courtesy name Qi'nan (启南) and pseudonym Shitian (石田), was a Chinese painter in the Ming dynasty.Shen Zhou was born into a wealthy family in Xiangcheng, near the thriving city of Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province, China. His genealogy traces his family's wealth to the late Yuan period, but only as far as Shen's paternal great-grandfather, Shen Liang-chen, who became a wealthy landowner following the dissolution of Mongol rule.Shen Zhou lived at a pivotal point in the history of Chinese painting, and contributed greatly to the artistic tradition of China, founding the new Wu School in Suzhou. Under the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), painters had practiced with relative freedom, cultivating a more “individualist,” innovative approach to art that deviated noticeably from the more superficial style of the Song masters who preceded them. However, at the outset of the Ming, the Hongwu emperor (reg 1368-1398) decided to import the existing master painters to his court in Nanjing, where he had the ability to cultivate their styles to conform to the paintings of the Song masters. Condition Natural imperfection on the medium (paper or silk), regardless from any major damages; includes light blooms, discoloration and minor fading. Consider normal due to the ages. All lots are sold as is and where is. Lauren Galleries provides condition reports upon request to aide in your bidding decision. No statement regarding age, condition, kind, value, or quality of a lot, whether made orally at the auction or at any other time, or in writing in this catalog or elsewhere, shall be construed to be an express or implied warranty, representation, or assumption of liability. All sales are final, Lauren Galleries does not give refunds based on condition. Lauren Galleries does not perform any shipping or packing services. We do have a list of suggested shippers who gladly provide quotes prior to your bidding. Please visit our webpage for a list of recommended shippers.