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PROPERTY FROM THE FAMILY COLLECTION OF GEN. JOSEPH W. STILWELL (1883-1946)
PU RU (1896-1963)
Magpie and Willow
Details
PU RU (1896-1963)
Magpie and Willow
Hanging scroll, ink on paper
23 1/8 x 11 in. (58.5 x 28 cm.)
Entitled and signed, with one seal of the artist
Magpie and Willow
Hanging scroll, ink on paper
23 1/8 x 11 in. (58.5 x 28 cm.)
Entitled and signed, with one seal of the artist
Provenance
This painting was acquired directly from the artist by General Joseph Stilwell and then given to his eldest daughter Nancy Stilwell Easterbrook, thence by descent.
Further details
The family of General Joseph W. Stilwell has enjoyed a long and deep connection with China. General Stilwell frst visited China in 1911 as a First Lieutenant in the US Army and was subsequently the US Army’s frst Chinese language student. Stilwell is best remembered as the Commander of the China-Burma-India Theater during WWII. In 1910, Stilwell married Winifred Alison Smith (1889-1972), and they together had five children. During the General’s years of service in China, which continued until 1936, the Stilwell family immersed themselves in the rich culture of China at the highest level. The family resided in a traditional Chinese home. The children learned traditional pursuits including music, history and literature. Daughter Alison enjoyed the unique experience of studying Chinese painting with prominent painters Pu Ru and Yu Fei’an (1888-1959).