[Collection Name]: Yu Ji Wealth and Fortune Immortal Diagram Axis

[Historical Era]: Qing Dynasty

【 Size 】: 73.5 cm in length, 57.5 cm in width 【 Poem 】: Lu Sheng Goes to the Fenmei Banquet

May I wish you a bright and happy Chinese New Year                Where are the wealthy immortals

In front of the brocade hall on the picture of raw silk

Chuncong, the old man, lives a long and prosperous life

Autumn Room Collection [Seal]: Yu Zhi Hua Yin (Zhu Wen) [Signature]: Purple Handsome Lord Shoujian Ju Hu Weifan respectfully presents [Collection Seal]: Hu Weifan Yin (White Wen) Bo Xuan (Zhu Wen) Wu Xingshen Zhi He Zi Collected Calligraphy and Painting Seal (Zhu Wen) From the poem in the collection, it can be seen that this was a painting of a wealthy and immortal on the birthday silk during Yu Zhi's visit to the Spring Festival Life Banquet. This work was once collected by Taizhou Governor Hu Weifan, Wu Xing Shen Hezi, and others. On the screen, an old man and a lady are depicted. The old man has a rectangular face, a wide nose and thick lips, a slightly open mouth with exposed teeth, eyes looking towards his hands. He wears a hat ornament on his head, a long scarf under his hat, a long shirt inside, and a Taoist robe outside. He holds a peony in his left hand, flowers are painted in light red, and his right hand hangs down, with red shoes on his feet. The lady followed closely behind the old man, with a delicate face, oval shaped face, low eyebrows and drooping eyes, cherry lips, a cloud bun hairstyle, exquisite hair style, shoulder cutting, wearing a wide sleeved long dress, holding a qin in her arms, and hanging a flower shaped jade pendant with a combination of auspicious cloud patterns and crystal beads around her waist. The overall picture is focused on the right side, with the characters' gaze focused on the left side, giving a sense of extension. The character's clothing pattern is depicted using high ancient hairspring, which is gentle and smooth, with strong brushwork that fits the character's body characteristics. The entire painting features the hair accessories of a lady, the knots tied around her waist, and her shoes all highlighted in red, adding a touch of decorative interest and enriching the layers of the image with a subtle and elegant tone. From the poem 'Where are the wealthy and noble immortals?' it can be inferred that the two figures in the painting are immortals, one holding a peony and the other holding a guqin. They came to play music to wish their birthday. Peony "represents the meaning of wealth and prosperity in Changchun, indicating the author's good wishes for the host family. Gu Kaizhi once said, 'The vivid portrayal is happening in Adou,' and the eyes play a crucial role in figure paintings. Upon closer inspection of this painting, the former has vivid eyes that focus on the flowers in their hands, drawing the viewer's attention to the peonies. The design is highly ingenious; The latter lady lowered her eyebrows and pondered, with a hint of melancholy, and the character's heart was rich.

Yu Ji (1738-1823) was a painter and book collector of the Qing Dynasty. His courtesy name was Rongshang and his literary name was Qiushi. He was born in Renhe, Zhejiang during the Qing Dynasty (now Hangzhou). The "Lu Yuan Conghua" records: "(Yu) is skilled in calligraphy and enjoys painting figures. Zong Chen Laolian, the painter, is particularly skilled in painting beautiful women, known as Yu Meiren in the capital." Although his figure paintings are based on Chen Hongshou's style, he combines his own insights with Chen Hongshou's style of characters with large heads and small bodies, exaggerated proportions, and a sense of antiquity. The men in Yu's works are mostly realistic, while the ladies in his works conform to the aesthetic trend of "pathological beauty" in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Yu Ji was not only a painter, but also a member of the officialdom, serving as an editor in the Hanlin Academy and participating in the compilation of the "Complete Library of Four Treasures". In his later years, he served as a lecturer at Suzhou Zhengyi Academy.