16 Xugu
Album of Various Subjects
1895
album of ten leaves , ink and color on paper
each leaf 34.7 x 40.6 cm
Shanghai Museum
No painter before the twentieth century has abstracted his subject matter
to the extent that one finds in the eccentric, angular work of Xugu. Although
his cool, dry brushwork seems distant, his everyday subject matter and warm
colors offer an appeal to the senses. This album combines the auspicious
themes for which he is well-known, such as the goldfish as a symbol of high
position, with mundane but pleasing objects found in the vegetable or fish
market.