Wen Jia 1501-1583

signed Wen Jia, inscribed 'Temples on Mountains of the Immortals.  In the yimao year of the Jiajing reign (1555), painted by Wen Jia at the Tingyunguan (Building Where the Clouds Linger)', and with one seal of the artist, wen jia zhi yin, and five collectors' seals, wang shi ji qian ceng guan (seal of C. C. Wang), cheng dao ji yin, cheng ji shi jia zhen cang, tong li zhen mi, and cheng shou hu yin

Chinese Paintings from the Ching-Yuan Chai: the Cahill Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Chinese Paintings of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, March 19 to April 21, 1974
The Single Brushstroke: 600 Years of Chinese Painting from the Ching Yuan Chai Collection, Vancouver Art Gallery, March 15 to May 26, 1985
Mists and Clouds: Masterworks of Chinese Painting, Berkeley Art Museum, March 2002; University of Michigan Museum of Art, 2002-2003; University of Wisconsin, Elvehjem Museum, 2004; West Palm Beach, Norton Museum of Art, 2004-2005; Williams College Museum of Art, 2005

Chinese Paintings from the Ching-Yuan Chai: the Cahill Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1974, cat. no. 11
Parting at the Shore: Chinese Painting of the Early and Middle Ming Dynasty, James Cahill, 1368-1580, New York and Tokyo: John Weatherhill Inc., 1978, Pl. 129 and cf. pp. 248-249
The Literati Vision: Sixteenth Century Wu School Painting and Calligraphy, Alice R. M. Hyland, Kimball Art Museum and Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis: 1984, no. 26
The Single Brushstroke: 600 Years of Chinese Painting from the Ching Yuan Chai Collection, Vancouver Art Gallery, 1985, cat. no. 28, pp. 43-44
Yiyuan Duoying (Gems From Chinese Fine Arts) Vol. 41, Shanghai, People's Art Press, June 1990, no. 23, p. 17
Comprehensive Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Paintings (Chūgoku Kaiga Sōgō Zuroku), Kei Suzuki, comp. American and Canadian Collections, Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, 1982, A31-112, p. I-362.
Tricycle, The Buddhist Review, Winter, 1998, Vol. 8, No. 2

-Overall in good condition -The colors in the illustrations are too intense and greenish whereas the colors on the actual piece are subtle & elegant
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Wen Jia was the second son of Wen Zhengming (1470-1559). Following in his illustrious father's footsteps, he became a poet, painter, and connoisseur. Not surprisingly, his painting style is modeled after that of his father, in terms of brushwork, compositional arrangement, and subject matter.
'Temples on Mountains of the Immortals' is one of his finest works. The composition is bisected along a diagonal, with the top half depicting a Daoist temple situated high atop treacherous mountain peaks, and the lower half focusing on a stalactite grotto--seen as a gateway to paradise in Daoist lore-- from which a cascading stream flows. In the foreground of the painting, in front of the grotto, two scholars and their attendants are engaged in conversation. In the middle of the picture two travelers make their way up a flight of stairs built on stilts above cascading waterfalls. They will soon reach some sheltered pavilions where they can take a rest before resuming their pilgrimage to the Daoist temple at the top of the mountain.
Wen Jia's painting is a masterful synthesis of Daoist symbolism, narrative description, and literati painting aesthetic.

Ching Yuan Chai (Jingyuan zhai) is the studio name given to the collection of Chinese and Japanese paintings belonging to Professor James Cahill and his family. Professor Cahill is world-renowned scholar and one of the most respected authorities on Chinese painting. The collection was assembled over a period of three decades, beginning in 1954 in Japan. The collection is particularly strong in works from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

The studio name Ching Yuan Chai can be interpreted as "Studio of Gazing at the Abstruse" or "Studio of [someone who is] Looking Hard at the Yuan Dynasty." A total of four exquisite works offered in this sale belongs to Professor Cahill's daughter Sarah.