Small Portrait of Seventeen-Year-Old Lady Luo Jinghong

Images(3)

Small Portrait of Seventeen-Year-Old Lady Luo Jinghong

Artist Ye Yanlan (Chinese, 1823 - 1898)

Date1871

DynastyQing dynasty (1644-1911)

MaterialsInk and colors on silk

DimensionsH. 10 15/16 in x W. 123 11/16, H. 27.8 cm x W. 314.2 cm (Overall); H. 10 15/16 in x W. 39 3/4, 27.8 cm x 101 cm (calligraphy); H. 10 15/16 in x W. 50 3/16, 27.8 cm x 127.5 cm (painting and colophon)

Credit LineThe Yeh Family Collection

Object number2003.37

DepartmentChinese Art

ClassificationsPainting

On View

Not on view

SignedSeal: “葉衍蘭印”白文方印；“南雪”朱文方印；“韻琴讀畫之所”白文長方印引首。 Inscription 1 seal：“蘭臺”朱文長方印。 Inscription 2 seal：“蘭臺”朱文方印。 Inscription 3 artist signature and date: 壬申五月九日為倩姬週年之辰，展閱遺真，潜然泣下，前塵往事，悵觸余懷，因填洞仙歌十首。拉雜成文，迄無倫次，聊自長恨，試寫閒愁云爾。南雪再題。 Seal鈐印：“紅豆”朱文長方印。

InscribedInscribed title by artist: 卷首題字：斷紅僊影(篆書) 秋夢主人題 Inscription 1：羅姬倩紅十七歲小影此恨何時已(用飲水詞句)，鎮傷心、一回展卷，一番愍涕。秀靨小眉渾似昔，萬喚千呼難起，生悔煞、留仙無計，三載情緣別一霎，甚人天、直恁迢迢地。清淚滴，如鉛水。銘幽欲寫相思字，奈年來、江郎才盡，筆花枯死，惆悵綺羅脂粉福，做盡愁邊滋味，看華鬢、已星星矣。縱有玉蕭能續夢，再生緣、怕阻他生裡。含酸語，卿如來。調寄金縷曲。甲戌初秋，夜坐花月擅扳室，展閱此卷，黯然神傷，時距倩娟之亡已三載餘矣。珊瑚身碎，然無續命之緣；環佩魂歸，帳乏潜英之製。睹驚鴻之宛在，莫喚真真，痛恨(鵲)之難(填)徒呼負負，再題此闋，用寫哀忍。倩姬有靈，亦當九原墮淚也。時蟲聲四壁，花影迷離，(X)月窺室，照人孤寂，書畢就枕，永夕不成寐。秋夢主人南雪生又題。 Inscription 2: 倩姬哀詞(臺誠跋) 姬姓羅氏，字倩紅，嶺南西樵人也。玉潤凝脂，珠光流慧，年十四即歸余。楚楚依人，娟娟此貌，花晨月夜，形影相隨。鏡檻書城，巾釵漸並，逾時四載，別夢千秋，五月榴紅，一枝花葬。年甫十七，以暴疾亡。傷哉！撫青衫之濕徧，莫罄愁懷；撿翠袖之留芬，尚餘唾(涎)香。返魂而乏術，草懷夢以無靈，和淚調鉛，含酸抱筆，詞成四闋，淚綆千絲。四年同作傷心侶，今生總成孤負。斷淚千絲，柔腸寸折，試問泉臺知否？蘭缸坐守，記鏡約釵盟，昨宵還又，那識明朝、雨愁風惨此時候。年來我耽愁病，鬢絲禪榻畔、文園消瘦。燕寢凝香，鴛衾偎玉，艷福幾曾消受？情緣未久，盼好月長圓，好花長壽，怎奈罡風碎紅千萬縷。女床舊是雙棲地，重來頓增淒楚。衣冷香篝，塵X粉篋，畢竟芳魂何處？情絲萬縷，縱花月嬋娟，祗添愁緒。甘作孤鸞玉鉤，羅薦冷無主。頻年應官聽鼓，惜香衾孤負，幾番廷佇。此日孤眠，長宵驚起，不到便鴉催曙。良辰更苦，怪艾酒蒲觴，送卿歸去，一曲惱儂、斷紅啼杜宇。(姬亡於五月九日) 傷離惜別尋常事，年年慣禁長怨。珊淚凋紅，瓊姿隕碧，爭似此時悽惋。凴棺暗喚，問何事人天、總成淒眷？料得香魂彩鸞，先返鶴書苑。俸錢替營齊奠，使慈雲甘露，法輪應轉。伴影留春，懷仙吊夢，祗有維摩經奏，情長夢短。除再世重逢，訴伊腸斷。欲抱温香，仙裙天邊遠。明知電火光陰幻，此生那禁憔悴，酸透梅根，苦深蓮的，迸作心頭滋味。癡情(恁)己盼，月夜歸魂，珮環聲細，立盡花陰，一庭風露曲欄底。朝來頓添鬢雪，歎尋常眠食，與誰相倚？影怯空房，寒侵孤館，那有重逢情事？餘香竟短，唾點華凝，襲人衣袂。欲寫相思，斷腸何處寄。同治辛末七夕，自摹倩姬小影，装成橫卷，即書哀詞於後。南雪生識於秋夢龕。 Inscription 3: 彩雲一展，認香車初到，連夕燈花艷。雙笑記那回相見，(X)(X)(guo jian)垂髫明鏡裡，又換飛瓊風調。更闌携素手，楚楚腰支，燕燕分明掌中小。芳姓劇憐卿俏，綰蘭襟、指叠雪，香痕輕妙。算明夜，蟾光正團圓，數碧玉年華，箇儂相肖。春寒小院，啟文窗六扇，掩映簾間玉人面，指裙腰草色綠與衫同，渾不及鏡裡眉山葱蒨。惹儂添悶損，訴說飄零出水青蓮，綠波泣身世可憐，儂一縷情絲，穿不起淚珠成串。從今後纏綿，愛緣深，儘被底燈前，慰伊腸斷。牙籤錦軸，傍盤龍粧鏡，圍住春風鬢雲影，更琉璃硯匣，暝寫晨書，恰伴我映月囊螢相稱。夜闌同剪燭，擁髻微唫問字，廻身眤郎，並翠袖薄寒生。蓮漏聲沉，渾不覺鸞篝秋冷，便同夢，籠鴛被，池香也，艷福無多，那堪重省。瑤簪墮折，痛曇花一現。珊枕愁紅碎千片。悵返魂香沓，續命絲難，空盼着姍影素鸞天遠。情緣同夢幻，三載年華，彈指匆匆去如箭。約略數前歡，攏袖重香，猶記取粧臺花滿。又誰料天風環珮音，早做就燈前玉弦哀怨。淒然影室，痛真真難喚，繐帳扶床繞千遍，也明知仙夢，撒手離塵，怎禁得洗面啼痕如綫。含悲搜盡篋，翠履銀璫，半雜香奩半書卷。觸手两餘芬，牋楮叢殘，認粉印脂痕都滿。更遺墨傷心忍重看？有小字蠶眠認她嬌腕。飛鸞鏡冷，記私携翠袖，驀地粧臺已分手。想重泉今夜，落月彎環，應似我淒寂黄昏時候。玳梁棲宿燕，第一難忘，仙枕餘芬襲金縷。鴛瓦玉霜寒，茗火煎愁，總難熨幾重眉皺。除夢裡相逢說相思，奈夢醒依然蘭釭孤守。離情莫訴，悵奈何天遠，花外沈吟萬千轉。認水精簾底，朱鳥寫成纔幾日，化作翠凋紅怨。盟言釵合，負悔煞當時，天女維摩镇相伴。仙影忒怱忽飛燕，裙裾留不住彩霞天半。早知是光陰更無多，便厮守粧臺也都情願。銜珠腕約，痛臂盟重認，私叩綢繆竟無準，把擅權心事，細祝靈香應。鑒取珊挽淚痕紅暈。柔鄉空占，總冉冉嬌雲仙袂，凌虛散花隕。艷福等閒看，熨體偎衾，都認作尋常緣分。奈今日思量，總淒然嘆薄命，難消儘，添長恨。遺芬在抱，賸秋雲羅帕，紫玉烟痕已驚化。對荒寮秋雨，愁奠椒漿酸風裡，空見紙錢飛乍。玉棺誰伴取，佛院悲凉，可有慈雲露珠灑？烟冷玉鱼寒，猶幸靈簫有仙侶，彩鸞同跨，比長草空林夜悠悠，算輸爾良宵夜臺清話。(姬柩XX觀音院，其鄰室左右六七棺皆新亡少姝也。) 文園瘦損，悵帶圍寬盡，愁寫脩眉遠山暈。折俸錢十萬，營奠營齊，聊慰汝三載添香情分。韋郎今已老，頓減風情，未卜他生杳難問。縱有玉簫緣，鸞鏡重窺，怕驚見潘郎絲鬢。止一卷金經法王前，好懺悔中年萬千愁恨。

More Information

Lady Luo Jinghong, pictured here, was Ye Yanlan's most favored concubine. According to his biography Yanlan had six concubines in addition to his first wife, and Lady Luo (1853/54–1871) was Ye Yanlan's companion for only four years. Yanlan painted this portrait in 1871 after the passing of Lady Luo a couple of months prior during Qixi (the 7th day of the 7th lunar month). The colophons were subsequently added afterwards including one in Autumn 1874 . The young woman is seated reading a book near a Ming-style scholar's table with books and writing utensils. The smooth line work and the subtle coloring of her clothes seem to characterize her as a sweet young woman of learning and refined taste.

Ye Yanlan added three colophons to this poignant portrait, written successively on the first three anniversaries of Lady Luo's death. These writings are filled with sadness and loneliness, with Yanlan recounting her brief life and lamenting her death.