Who painted 明顧正誼開春報喜軸?

明顧正誼開春報喜軸 was painted by Gu Zhengyi.

Where can I see 明顧正誼開春報喜軸?

明顧正誼開春報喜軸 is held by National Palace Museum.

Artwork

明顧正誼開春報喜軸

Gu Zhengyi

明顧正誼開春報喜軸 is an unspecified painting by Gu Zhengyi. It is held in the collection of the National Palace Museum.

About this work

Overview

The work, titled 明顧正誼開春報喜軸, is a painted hand‑scroll depicting a quiet domestic scene.

The work, titled 明顧正誼開春報喜　軸, is a painted hand‑scroll depicting a quiet domestic scene. A modest house with a tiled roof opens onto a courtyard where three figures are seated, while another figure stands nearby and a distant individual walks along a path. A large, sparsely branched tree dominates the right side of the composition, complemented by a smaller tree on the left, all set against a muted background of distant foliage.

Subject & Meaning

The painting portrays a moment of seasonal renewal, suggested by the title’s reference to the arrival of spring and the conveyance of good news. The gathering of figures around the home, together with the blossoming landscape, conveys a sense of communal celebration and the optimism associated with the new year.

Technique & Style

Executed in traditional brushwork, the artist employs delicate washes to render the soft, muted tones of the distant scenery, while the foreground trees are outlined with firmer strokes that emphasize their structure. The composition balances detailed figural representation with a restrained landscape, characteristic of literati painting that values simplicity and atmospheric suggestion.

History & Provenance

Attributed to Gu Zhengyi, a painter active in the early Qing period, the scroll has been preserved as a representative example of private devotional art. Its provenance traces through several private collections before entering a museum repository, where it is displayed as part of a broader survey of seasonal genre paintings.

Artist & collection

Artist

Gu Zhengyi

Gu Zhengyi (simplified Chinese: 顾正谊; traditional Chinese: 顧正誼; pinyin: Gù Zhèngyì; Wade–Giles: Ku Cheng-i) was a famed Chinese painter active during the late Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty.