Laszlo, I read your bio. You are truly making the world a better place, especially during current times when the US seems to want to pick on another enemy to fight. And it doesn't matter if you're not famous or well rewarded for your efforts. I'm a retired HS teacher. I taught disadvantaged kids, and if I've helped & educated even just one child to become a better person then, I'm content. You're on a truly worthwhile cause. I have the highest respect for you. Keep on doing it.
Thanks Ray. The emails, messages and comments I've received over the past decade make this all worth it. Last I checked there's 160 hours worth of content contained in the back catalog and hopefully even more to come in the years ahead. No one's given me any awards and no sponsors are lining up asking to support the CHP. But the pleasure I get from the creative process, the expressions of support, the occasional adulation and the friendships and mentors I've collected along the way make this all worth it, not to mention an achievement that I'm proud of.
Very interesting Laszlo. Thank you. I have wonderful a Ming painting of Jiang Ziya inscribed by Wen Zhengming with a poem 'Taigong Goes Fishing (Without a hook) as told by the ancients'. I will be curious to find out whether it was painted before the Ming book was written. It looks likely.
I'm not sure Wen is attracting those sort of prices. Perhaps the best 'expert' is the scientist who does the analysis. With a scroll which has wooden frame, silk backing & porcelain scroll knobs it is fairly easy to date that and a painting on paper will carbon date, even if the they are all of different dates, which is more than possible. I wouldn't expect a modern painter to use the phrase 'as told by the ancients' in the title of a painting which is stating the obvious about a tale known to every Chinese child. More likely a person relating an unknown tale to explain a painting of a little known story, would you disagree? As you know, running script is fairly easy to recognise & difficult to forge. The attitude of the hand is often a giveaway. Forgers usually try to look like something typical from a peak period in the artist's career nad like to plant too many fake seals on them. Either way though, it is a very well painted closeup of a figure in a complex landscape with much symbolism which I do really like. I only have a few Chinese works of art including a copy of the original Qing Ming & a very large old copy of Wen Tong's masterpiece. All chosen by eye for their greatness, before I knew anything much about China's wonderful art. Imagine my joy when I found I 'had good taste'. Currently I'm researching about a sculpture a Tang Emperor once had made to remember his greatest love. I may even hold in my hand exactly what the history describes. Fortunately that can be dated by certain features in the detail that a modern sculptor would hardly be likely to comprehend, let alone restrain themselves from over-embellishment. It would also have cost an Emperor's ransom back then. I probably will never be able to prove it. Experts aren't always right. I have a very early Thai painting of their most famous King doing what he was most famous for. An expert deduced it was one of the Jakata tales. I guess this 'expert' didn't spend much time actually looking at Buddhist art from any period, nor the unfortunately rare early Thai art. Sometimes it's as simple as an ear, or a bird in a tree which really tells the story. At least some Chinese paintings have words as well. I look forward to watching more of your videos.
One of my favorite places I have visited was the Ruins of Yin near Anyang for it takes it back to the begining of Chinese history (not mythology or pre-history). I greatly encourage anyone to visit Henan's major cities and historical sites and museums (Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Shaolin, Kaifeng, Anyang) to see the roots of Chinese history.
Yeah, I really wanted to reach back as far as possible. Blue skies returned last week. I believe the worst of the fires have been contained. Otherwise I am just hunkering down and living day by day, showing up to the office everyday and working on the CHP at night. Just counting the days till it's safe to come out again.
@@ChinaHistoryPodcast hopefully not much longer to wait... I'm glad the fires have died down. Is it because of bad forestry that they are burning? Have you any series in the offing?
Laszlo, I read your bio. You are truly making the world a better place, especially during current times when the US seems to want to pick on another enemy to fight. And it doesn't matter if you're not famous or well rewarded for your efforts. I'm a retired HS teacher. I taught disadvantaged kids, and if I've helped & educated even just one child to become a better person then, I'm content. You're on a truly worthwhile cause. I have the highest respect for you. Keep on doing it.
Thanks Ray. The emails, messages and comments I've received over the past decade make this all worth it. Last I checked there's 160 hours worth of content contained in the back catalog and hopefully even more to come in the years ahead. No one's given me any awards and no sponsors are lining up asking to support the CHP. But the pleasure I get from the creative process, the expressions of support, the occasional adulation and the friendships and mentors I've collected along the way make this all worth it, not to mention an achievement that I'm proud of.
Very interesting Laszlo. Thank you. I have wonderful a Ming painting of Jiang Ziya inscribed by Wen Zhengming with a poem 'Taigong Goes Fishing (Without a hook) as told by the ancients'. I will be curious to find out whether it was painted before the Ming book was written. It looks likely.
You never know. Ask an expert. If it's really painted by Wen Zhengming, you can start pricing some real estate in Beverly Hills or Lake Como.
I'm not sure Wen is attracting those sort of prices. Perhaps the best 'expert' is the scientist who does the analysis. With a scroll which has wooden frame, silk backing & porcelain scroll knobs it is fairly easy to date that and a painting on paper will carbon date, even if the they are all of different dates, which is more than possible. I wouldn't expect a modern painter to use the phrase 'as told by the ancients' in the title of a painting which is stating the obvious about a tale known to every Chinese child. More likely a person relating an unknown tale to explain a painting of a little known story, would you disagree?
As you know, running script is fairly easy to recognise & difficult to forge. The attitude of the hand is often a giveaway. Forgers usually try to look like something typical from a peak period in the artist's career nad like to plant too many fake seals on them.
Either way though, it is a very well painted closeup of a figure in a complex landscape with much symbolism which I do really like. I only have a few Chinese works of art including a copy of the original Qing Ming & a very large old copy of Wen Tong's masterpiece. All chosen by eye for their greatness, before I knew anything much about China's wonderful art. Imagine my joy when I found I 'had good taste'. Currently I'm researching about a sculpture a Tang Emperor once had made to remember his greatest love. I may even hold in my hand exactly what the history describes. Fortunately that can be dated by certain features in the detail that a modern sculptor would hardly be likely to comprehend, let alone restrain themselves from over-embellishment. It would also have cost an Emperor's ransom back then. I probably will never be able to prove it.
Experts aren't always right. I have a very early Thai painting of their most famous King doing what he was most famous for. An expert deduced it was one of the Jakata tales. I guess this 'expert' didn't spend much time actually looking at Buddhist art from any period, nor the unfortunately rare early Thai art. Sometimes it's as simple as an ear, or a bird in a tree which really tells the story. At least some Chinese paintings have words as well. I look forward to watching more of your videos.
One of my favorite places I have visited was the Ruins of Yin near Anyang for it takes it back to the begining of Chinese history (not mythology or pre-history). I greatly encourage anyone to visit Henan's major cities and historical sites and museums (Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Shaolin, Kaifeng, Anyang) to see the roots of Chinese history.
Alas, I never made it to Anyang. That truly is a part of 华夏 Ground Zero!
The ancient-er the better imo. Hope u are well and staying clear of fire and pestilence (better look out for locusts too!)
Yeah, I really wanted to reach back as far as possible. Blue skies returned last week. I believe the worst of the fires have been contained. Otherwise I am just hunkering down and living day by day, showing up to the office everyday and working on the CHP at night. Just counting the days till it's safe to come out again.
@@ChinaHistoryPodcast hopefully not much longer to wait...
I'm glad the fires have died down. Is it because of bad forestry that they are burning?
Have you any series in the offing?