'ROCKS IN AN AUTUMN FOREST', BY XU FENG China, dated 1895. Ink and watercolor on segmented silk ground. The fan-shaped painting depicts a fisherman on his boat, hidden behind trees. On the left, a stream runs through some lush green rocks and pours into the river. Calligraphy and seal mark on the right. Laid down on paper.

Inscriptions: Text (translated): 'In the early summer of the year Yiwei (1895), Xu Feng gave it as a gift to Chunzhou'. Signed 'Nantai Xu Feng'. One seal 'Nantai'.

Provenance: From the collection of Professor Jan Wirgin (1932-2020). Jan Wirgin studied Classic Chinese and History of Art at Stockholm University. Later, he joined the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm, first as a curator and then between 1981-1998 as the director of the museum. Further, he published numerous articles during his work as the editor of the Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities. One of his most famous works is the book "Chinese Art history" (1972), which is still one of the most read books for students of Chinese art history in Sweden.
Condition: The painting with some abrasions and discoloration along the folds, some material loss, and touchups.

Dimensions: Image size 52.3 x 22 cm, paper 63.5 x 32.5 cm

Xu Feng, also called Nantai, was a Shanghai-based artist. He is known for his blue-green landscape paintings in the style of Wen Zhengming and Zhao Mengfu.

Auction result comparison: Compare a painting from Xu Feng, with the title 'Landscape (高嶺橫雲)', at Shanghai Duo Yun Xuan auction in Chinese painting & calligraphy (II) on 21 April 2017, lot 864, sold for RMB 30,000 (ca. EUR 4,200).

許鳳《秋林石壁》
中國，1895年。絹本設色。青綠秋林石壁之間，漁夫湖上泛舟。

款識: 秋林石壁，己未初夏為春洲仁兄先生正之，南臺許鳳。朱印：南臺。

許鳳，字南台，上海人，工青綠山水，仿文徵明，趙孟頫技法。

來源：Jan Wirgin (1932-2020) 教授收藏。Jan Wirgin先生曾在斯德哥爾摩大學學習古典漢語和藝術史。之後，他進入斯德哥爾摩東方博物館，先是擔任策展人，然後在 1981 年至 1998 年間擔任博物館館長。此外，他在擔任東方博物館公報的編輯期間，發表了大量文章。其中，最著名的是《中國藝術史》（1972）一書，至今仍是瑞典中國藝術史學生最重要的書籍之一。
品相：褶皺處有些磨損和變色，局部材料損失和修補。

尺寸：畫面 52.3 x 22 厘米，總 63.5 x 32.5 厘米

拍賣結果：比較一幅許鳳《高嶺橫雲》，見上海朵雲軒Chinese painting & calligraphy (II) 2017年4月21日 lot 864, 售價RMB 30,000。