A LARGE PAINTING DEPICTING SHOULAO AND AN ATTENDANT, BY GU JIANLONG (1606-1687), DATED 1679 顧見龍(1606-1687)款《長壽仙芝》，1679年China. Ink and watercolors on paper. Depicting Shoulao holding a lingzhi fungus in his right hand, his face with a cheerful expression, dressed in fine robes with a floral hem, a jade pendant in the form of a ruyi cloud tied to his waist, followed by his attendant carrying his master’s cane with attached gourd, the attendant also dressed in fine robes embellished with medallions of scrolling clouds, both standing in a rocky landscape below a gnarled pine tree backed by clouds, with rockwork issuing lingzhi in the foreground.Inscriptions: Upper left, inscribed ‘The magical fungus of immortality’, ‘Painted in the autumn of the Year of Ji Wei (corresponding to 1679) in the manner of Tang Ziwei (also known as Tang Yin, 1470-1523)’, ‘Painted in the Studying Straw Hall of Deep Willow’, and signed ‘Yun Chen Gu Jianlong’. Two seals, ‘Gu Jianlong Yin’ and ‘Yun Chen’. Provenance: From the collection of James Kedzie Penfield, and thence by descent in the same family. James Kedzie Penfield (1908-2004), after graduating from Stanford, joined a hand-picked team who traveled to China to work for the American Diplomatic Corps during the 1930s and 1940, where, according to his daughter, he spent the best years of his life. During his stay, he established friendships with local artists, including Zhang Daqian, one of the most famous Chinese painters of the 20th century, and was gifted a painting by him as a farewell present, which was sold at Woolley & Wallis on 1 July 2020, lot 15, for GBP 50,000. In 1954, James Penfield became the High Commissioner for Austria and was sent there to re-establish a neutral and democratic country.Condition: The painting with extensive wear, tears, creasing, losses, touch-ups, soiling, and stains, but overall displaying remarkably well despite obvious signs of age. Mounted and stabilized behind a solid wood frame with glass. The frame with few small nicks and light scratches.Dimensions: Image size 226 x 107 cm, Size incl. fame 239.5 x 119.5 cmGu Jianlong (1606-1687) was born in Suzhou Taichang and served at the Qing court as a painter during the 1660s and 1670s, where he painted portraits of the Emperors Shunzhi and Kangxi as well as of the Imperial family.Literature comparison:Compare a related silk scroll painting by Gu Jianlong, in the British Museum, registration number 1910,0212,0.486. Compare also a related portrait of Ma Shiqi (1650-1714), illustrated in Wai-Kam Ho, et al., Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting: The Collections of the Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, and The Cleveland Museum of Art, p. 347-348, no. 255.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 19 March 2021, lot 852Price: USD 50,000 or approx. EUR 53,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: With signature of Gu Jianlong (1606-after 1687), Shoulao on a White DeerExpert remark: Compare the closely related motif. Note the slightly smaller size (182.5 x 97 cm).顧見龍(1606-1687)款《長壽仙芝》，1679年中國，紙本水墨設色。壽老右手持一株靈芝，面帶喜色，身著細花邊長袍，腰佩如意佩，侍從手持仙杖跟在後面，仙杖上掛著一個葫蘆，同樣身著精美的長袍，上面飾有雲紋理。一側青松高聳，祥雲浮動。面前地上靈芝遍地。 款識：長壽仙芝, 時己未之秋仿唐子畏筆意寫於深柳讀書草堂，雲臣顧見龍製；鈴印：顧見龍印，雲臣 來源：James Kedzie Penfield私人收藏，保存在同一家族至今。James Kedzie Penfield (1908-2004) 從斯坦福大學畢業後，於1930 年至 1940 年間前往中國為美國外交使團工作。據他的女兒說，他在那裡度過了一生中最美好的時光。在中國，他與藝術家建立了友誼，其中包括二十世紀最著名的中國畫家之一張大千，並獲張大千贈送一幅畫作為告別禮物，該畫於 2020 年 7 月 1 日在 Woolley & Wallis 售出，Lot 15，售價 50,000 英鎊。1954 年，James Penfield 成為高級專員，並被派往奧地利重建一個中立和民主的國家。 品相：磨損、撕裂、摺痕和汙漬，儘管有明顯的年代痕跡，但整體狀體極好。帶玻璃的木框。框架有一些小劃痕。 尺寸：畫面226 x 107 釐米, 總 239.5 x 119.5 釐米 顧見龍(1606-1687) 生於蘇州太倉，1660 至 1670 年代在清宮任畫家，曾為順治、康熙及皇室畫像。 文獻比較： 比較一件相近的顧見龍絹本設色卷軸畫，收藏於大英博物館，館藏編號1910,0212,0.486。比較一件相近《馬世奇(1650-1714)》畫像，見Wai-Kam Ho編，《Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting：The Collections of the Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum》，堪薩斯市和克利夫蘭藝術博物館，頁347-348，編號255。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2021年3月19日，lot 852 價格：USD 50,000（相當於今日EUR 53,000） 描述：顧見龍（款，1606-1687年後），《白鹿壽老》 專家評論：比較非常相近的主題。請注意尺寸稍小(182.5 x 97毫米)。