A Tradition Redefined: Modern and Contemporary Chinese Ink Paintings from the Chu-tsing Li Collection,
1950–2000
Harvard University Art Museums
244 pages | 151 images
These catalogue entries for stunning ink paintings, set in both English and Chinese, include caption information as well as transcribed inscriptions and seal copy of widely varying lengths. The grid accommodates this range, organizes the information in small groupings that link the two languages, and accentuates the delightful inscriptions, such as “Pondering the infinite vastness of heaven and earth, I feel alone and my tears fall,” or “Return from Fishing. Asking Mr. Chu-tsing for his comment.” The author wanted to include images of the signatures and seals, at actual size, on the entry spreads. I was concerned that this would distract from the paintings and suggested grouping the signatures and seals in a section following the paintings. Each painting connects with its signature and seal through the corresponding catalogue numbers easily found at the top of the page.
