Ducks Sleeping on a Lotus Bank
Lü Ji (呂紀, fl. ca. 1439-1505), Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 174.5 x 104.2 cm, National Palace Museum, Taipei
On a moonlit night in thick fog, four wild ducks rest on a sand bar amidst lotuses and rushes. The composition only includes the foreground and middleground, and the background has been omitted. This work bears the signature of Lü Ji, but the authenticity is in question due to the slight weakness of the brushwork, which does not quite match that of his other paintings. However, the painting still reflects a faithful imitation of Lü Ji’s style, providing a glimpse of his “sketching ideas” manner.
