JIN TINGBIAO (18TH CENTURY)

JIN TINGBIAO (18TH CENTURY)
Landscape in Rain

Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
135 x 79 cm. (53 1/8 x 31 1/8 in.)
Signed, with two seals of the artist
Inscribed with a poem by Emperor Qialong (1711-1799), with two seals and dated fourth month, jimao year (1759)
Six imperial collection seals: three of Emperor Qialong and three of Emperor Jiaqing (1760-1820)
NOTES:
Jin Tingbiao, a native of Wu Cheng (now Huzhou of the Zhejiang province), worked as a court painter from 1757 to 1767. During his tenure, 87 of his works were documented in the Catalogue of the Qing Imperial Collection (Shiqu Baoji), 78 of which had poems composed by the Emperor Qianlong, including Landscape in Rain. This justifies Jin as being one of his favourite painters of the time.
Landscape in Rain is an early work by the artist, depicting merchants travelling in the rain, while workers are towing rafts and farmers are working with their raincoats on. Nevertheless, according to The Events of Qianlong edited by Chang Jianhua, it was the year when the Emperor prayed for rain to alleviate the drought. This corresponds with Qianlong’s sentiments towards the hardships of his people expressed through his poem on the painting.