A SCENE FROM ‘JOURNEY TO THE WEST’, BY PU RU (1896-1963)China. Ink and watercolors on paper, laid down on paper. Depicting the monkey king Sun Wukong and another monkey in a vicious fight, each holding a long staff and standing in a dynamic pose on a bridge next to a crashing waterfall, with Zhu Bajie watching nearby.Inscriptions: Top left, inscribed ‘Journey to the West’, signed ‘Pu Ru’. One seal of the artist, ‘Xinshe’.Provenance: British trade. Condition: Very good condition with only minor wear and soiling.Dimensions: Image size 16.4 x 8.1 cm, size incl. backing 30.4 x 15.8 cmThe present painting depicts a famous scene from Journey to the West (Xi You Ji), in which Sun Wukong is fighting a six-eared macaque who was impersonating him. Eventually, Sun Wukong vanquishes his doppelganger. Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, is a legendary mythical figure who also appears in many later stories and adaptations. In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven, he is imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha, until he joins Tang Sanzang in his quest. Sun Wukong possesses many abilities, including amazing strength and extreme speed. Sun Wukong also acquires the 72 Earthly Transformations, which allow him to access 72 unique powers, including the ability to transform into sundry animals and objects. He is a skilled fighter, capable of defeating the best warriors of heaven. His hair has magical properties, capable of making copies of himself or transforming into various weapons, animals, and other things. He also shows partial weather manipulation skills and can stop people in place with fixing magic.Journey to the West (Xi You Ji) is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popular literary work in East Asia. The novel is an extended account of the legendary pilgrimage of the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who traveled to the ‘Western Regions’ (Central Asia and India) to obtain Buddhist sacred texts and returned after many trials and much suffering. The monk is referred to as Tang Sanzang in the novel. The novel retains the broad outline of Xuanzang's own account, Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, but adds elements from folk tales and the author's invention: Gautama Buddha gives this task to the monk and provides him with three protectors who agree to help him as an atonement for their sins. These disciples are Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing, together with a dragon prince who acts as Tang Sanzang's steed, a white horse. The pilgrims journey towards enlightenment through the power and virtue of cooperation.Pu Ru (1896-1963), also known as Pu Xinshe, was a traditional Chinese painter, calligrapher, and nobleman. A member of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, the ruling house of the Qing dynasty, he was a cousin to Puyi, the last Emperor of China. It was speculated that Pu Ru would have succeeded to the Chinese throne if Puyi and the Qing government were not overthrown after the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. Pu Ru was reputed to be as talented as the famous southern artist Zhang Daqian. Together, they became known as ‘Pu of the North and Zhang of the South’. Pu Ru fled to Taiwan after the Communist Party of China came to power and was appointed by Chiang Kai-shek as a Manchu representative at the Constitutional National Assembly. In Taiwan, he made a living selling paintings and calligraphy, and taught as a professor of fine arts at the National Taiwan Normal University.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: China Guardian, Beijing, 20 November 2010, lot 484Price: CNY 280,000 or approx. EUR 52,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Paintings from record of journey to the west, Pu Ru (1896-1963)Expert remark: Compare the near identical motif. Note that the lot comprises a second painting of closely related subject.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 3 April 2018, lot 127Estimate: HKD 100,000 or approx. EUR 13,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Pu Ru (1896-1963), Monk Xuanzang and Monkey GodExpert remark: Compare the related motif. Note the size (25.5 x 15.5 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 3 April 2017, lot 1204Price: HKD 275,000 or approx. EUR 36,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Pu Ru, Monkey King and the HorseExpert remark: Compare the related motif. Note the form and size (43.9 x 14.2 cm).溥儒款《西遊記》中國，紙本水墨設色，鏡片。《西遊記》中的真假猴王場景，線條簡練，筆觸清晰。 款識：西遊記，心畲；鈴印：心畲 來源：英國古玩交易。 品相：狀況極好，只有輕微的磨損和污跡。 尺寸：畫面16.4 x 8.1 厘米，總30.4 x 15.8 厘米 《西遊記》是一部中國古典名著，出版於十六世紀，作者為吳承恩，是東亞最受歡迎的文學作品之一。小說描述唐代高僧玄奘帶領四位弟子西去西域求取佛經，歷經千辛萬苦歸來的傳奇朝聖故事。拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：北京嘉德，2010年11月20日，lot 484 價格：CNY 280,000（相當於今日EUR 52,000） 描述：溥儒《孫悟空大戰牛魔王》、《西遊記》 專家評論：比較幾乎相同的主題。請注意第二幅《西遊記》和我們的這幅畫非常相近。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港邦瀚斯，2018年4月3日，lot 127 估價：HKD 100,000（相當於今日EUR 13,000） 描述：溥儒《唐僧悟空》 專家評論：比較相近的主題。請注意尺寸(25.5 x 15.5 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2017年4月3日，lot 1204 價格：HKD 275,000（相當於今日EUR 36,000） 描述：溥儒《心猿意馬圖》 專家評論：比較相近的主題。請注意外形和尺寸(43.9 x 14.2 厘米)。