Washing the Water BuffaloHanging scroll, ink and color on paper, signed Keran with an artist's seal reading Li, the outer titleslip inscribed in clerical script and dated wushen (1968) fourth month, with two calligraphers' seals.13 x 17 3/4in (33.2 x 45cm) 李可染 水牛圖 設色紙本 立軸Provenance/來源:Far East Fine Arts, San Francisco, California 加州舊金山遠東藝術中心Published/出版: Toda, Teisuke and Hiromitsu Ogawa comp. Comprehensive Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Paintings, Third Series, Volume 1: American and Canadian Collections, University of Tokyo Press, 2013, A50-126, p. 212戶田禎佑、小川裕充，《中國繪畫總合圖錄》三編，第一卷，東京大學出版會，東京，2013年，A50-126，頁212Little, Stephen, and J. May Lee Barrett. New Songs on Ancient Tunes: 19th-20th Century Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy from the Richard Fabian Collection, Honolulu: Honolulu Academy of Arts, 2007, pp. 592-593Little, Stephen, J. May Lee Barrett,《古調新歌：費立哲神父珍藏十九及二十世紀中國書畫》，檀香山藝術博物館，夏威夷，2007年，頁592-593Isamu Noguchi/Qi Baishi/Beijing 1930, New York, 2013, no 75, p. 75《野口勇/齊白石/20世紀30年代北京》，紐約，2013年，圖錄編號75，頁75Exhibited/展覽:New Songs on Ancient Tunes, Honolulu Art Academy, Honolulu, Hawaii, August 30-October 28, 2007《古調新歌：費立哲神父珍藏十九及二十世紀中國書畫》，檀香山藝術博物館，夏威夷，2007年8月30日至10月28日Li Keran painted the subject of a herd boy and buffalo (Ruziniu) on countless occasions over the course of his long career, becoming a signature subject in his oeuvre. On the surface, the depiction of water buffalo or oxen with a herd boy companion appears as a benign depiction of the rural lifestyle. However, the subject is tied to the cultural milieu of 20th century China, as the artist's depiction is an implicit reference to Lu Xun's (1881-1936) writings in the 1930's when he compares himself to a buffalo: 'willingly I become a buffalo for the sake of the children' (俯首甘為孺子牛), as well as Guo Moruo's (1892-1978) essay 'In Praise of Water Buffalo' (水牛贊), where Guo suggests that the water buffalo should be embraced as a national emblem of strength and humble, yet hard work.