with one seal of the artist, chen zhen se ru
Frontispiece by Song Cao (1620-1701), signed Sheling yishi Songcao, dated jisi (1689), the tenth lunar month, with a dedication to Xu Yongxi (1657-after 1736) and three seals, she ling, song cao tu shu, huai nan jiu shi
Inscription on mounting border before painting by Jiang Chenying (1628-1699), signed Siming Jiang Chenying, dated jiaxu (1694), autumn, with three seals, zhi ci shi xue, jiang chen ying yin, xi ming; Sun Xiang (1657-1740), signed Sun Xiang, dated jiaxu (1694), the twelfth lunar month, with two seals, chen xiang, zi wei shi; Liu Huizu (17th century), signed Longmian di Liu Huizu, with a dedication to Xu Yongxi and two seals, hui zu, jing shan
Inscription on paper before painting by Xiang Congzhong (17th century), signed Shanyang Huiju Xiang Congzhong, with a dedication to Xu Yongxi and three seals, lian ju, cong zhong, tian fang; Song Gongyi (17th century), signed Zi’an di Song Gongyi, dated renshen (1692), the tenth lunar month, with a dedication to Xu Yongyi and three seals, he yin shu tai, song gong yi yin, zhi gong bie hao zi an; Yu Mei (unidentified), signed Jinsha dongyuan di Yu Mei, with one seal, yu mei
Inscription on painting by He Zhuo (1661-1722), signed He Zhuo, dated jiaxu (1694), summer, with a dedication and one seal, zhuo; Xu Yongxi (1657-after 1736), signed Xiaxiang Xu Xin, dated jisi, the fourteenth day of the tenth lunar month (November 25, 1689), with two seals, xu xin zi tan chang, jia zai ling shan di yi feng; Song Cao, signed Yishi Songcao, with three seals, huai nan yi lao, song cao si yin, she ling
Inscription on mounting border after painting by Fang Zhengyu (1654-1734), signed Hezhou di Fang Zhengyu, with a dedication to Xu Yongxi, with three seals, he zhou, bao yu, one illegible
Colophons by Wu Yueyan (17th century), signed Hualing Qiaoren Wu Yueyan, dated jisi, summer solstice (June 21, 1689), with a dedication to Xu Yongxi, with two seals, yue yan si yin, gu hu wu ji shu; Liu Yan (unidentified), signed Jiangpu Liu Yan, with three seals, mo fu chu xin, liu yan, zi da shan; Yu Mei, signed Cuiwei shizhe Yuanyi, dated jiaxu (1694), spring, with a dedication to Xu Yongxi and two seals, bing bei bing, yu mei; Xu Shicheng (unidentified), signed Moling Shicheng, with a dedication to Xu Yongxi and three seals, wo wu nan chuang xia, xu shi cheng yin, chong mo; Fang Zhengru (unidentified), signed Longmian di Fang Zhengru, with a dedication to Xu Yongxi, and three seals, wu jia shi , zheng ru, yu an; Dai Mingshi (1653-1713), signed Tongcheng Dai Mingshi, with one seal, ming shi; Lü Gaopei (17th century), signed Xishan Lü Gaopei, with three seals, di er quan, bai ting, da mao xian; Xu Che (17th century), signed Xu Che, with a dedication to Xu Yongxi and two seals, xu che si yin, yang gu; Meng Renhao (unidentified), signed Shanyin Meng Renhao, with three seals, da ya, ren hao tu shu, meng lin cang shi; Zhu Gao (17th century), signed Xishan di Zhu Gao, dated dingchou (1697), spring, with three seals, jia zai wei lan tian, zhu gao zhi yin, one illegible
With nine collector’s seals of Xu Yongxi, dong hai xin yin, tan chang, xu yong xi yin, zhou tang, xiu lin shan fang, dong hai zhuang fu, tan chang yin zhang, zhou tang, tan chang; one collector’s seal of Wu Shixian (18th century), gu xin tang yin; one collector’s seal of Wang Jiaotai (Qing dynasty), shi mu yuan; and four other collectors’ seals, bu min tang, bai tai qing xia, qi shi xuan, zui gu tang zhu ren cang

1. Journeys on Paper and Silk: The Roy and Marilyn Papp Collection of Chinese Painting, Phoenix Art Museum, February 28-April 19, 1998
2. Lyrical Traditions: Four Centuries of Chinese Paintings from the Papp Collection, The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, June 22-October 7, 2007
3. Intimate Escapes: Navigating Social Currents in Ming-Qing China, Phoenix Art Museum, Spring 2010

1. Journeys on Paper and Silk: The Roy and Marilyn Papp Collection of Chinese Painting, Phoenix Art Museum, 1998, cat. 31, pp. 90-91
2. Claudia Brown, Great Qing: Painting in China, 1644-1911, University of Washington Press, 2014, fig. 1.11, p. 14

- Overall in good condition except paper bears tanned tone. - Minor loss of ink and color, minor creases and dirt.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

'Xu Yongxi was indisputably the first owner and the initiator of the scroll. His own inscription, at the end of the painting portion of the scroll, makes it quite clear. He was unable to forget the time he had spent in Zhenjiang, pursuing scholarship under the tutelage of Master Gao Dongsheng, and the marvelous scenery of the region. Much as he had become a devoted disciple of Li Guangdi (1642-1718), a major figure in Qing intellectual history, this early phase of the study remained vividly etched in his memory. For some time, he harbored in his mind the theme of "Seeking Instruction at Jingjiang," waiting for the right painter to come along. While in Huaiyin, he chanced to meet Gu Fuzhen who, as Xu mentioned, was skilled in the method of "silk thread from a spring silk worm," a clear reference to the legendary Gu Kaizhi and also an appropriate description of the pictorial approach used by the artist in this scroll. That meeting resulted in a fine work, an exquisite depiction of the Jin, Jiao and Beigu Mountains in the vicinity of Zhenjiang, across the vast Yangzi River. The use of the blue-green further lends a jade-like light hue for these landmarks while imbuing the painting with subtle hints of a bygone era. Although the images appear crystal clear, the silence around them produces an eerie calm, invoking either a sense of a dream or of memories long lost that turn luminous for a brief moment before vanishing again.'
- Journeys on Paper and Silk, pp. 90-91