Footnotes

李可染（款） 童子牧牛圖 紙本設色 鏡框裝裱

Provenance: Max Morris (1910-2017), acquired in China in 1957, and thence by descent

Published and Exhibited: Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Modern Chinese Paintings from the Hafkin and Other Collections, Coventry, 11 July - 9 August 1964, no.42.

來源：Max Morris（1910-2017）舊藏，於1957年購自中國，並由後人保存迄今

展覽著錄：赫伯特藝術博物館，《Modern Chinese Paintings from the Hafkin and Other Collections》，考文垂，1964年7月11日-8月9日，編號42

Max Morris was born in London's East End to Russian immigrant parents. In his youth, he began working in his family's shoe business, P.Morris & Sons based in Shoreditch High Street. He served in the RAF during World War Two, as a French interpreter for air support crews in France, reaching the rank of sergeant.

In August 1957, Morris was part of a small trade delegation to China with the aim of fostering better understanding and trade between China and the UK. During this time, he visited some artists' studios and acquired paintings, some of which were later exhibited at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry.

In the 1980s he taught English at Toynbee Hall to primarily immigrants and was an active patron of the arts and charities. Two days before his 106th birthday he was awarded the British Citizen Award for his charitable work in a ceremony at the House of Lords on 7 July 2016.

Li Keran painted the subject of a herd boy and buffalo on countless occasions over the course of his long career, becoming a signature subject in his oeuvre. On the surface, the depiction of water buffalo or oxen with a herd boy companion appears as a benign depiction of the rural lifestyle. However, the subject is tied to the cultural milieu of 20th century China, as the artist's depiction is an implicit reference to Lu Xun's (1881-1936) writings in the 1930's when he compares himself to a buffalo: 'willingly I become a buffalo for the sake of the children' (俯首甘為孺子牛), as well as Guo Moruo's (1892-1978) essay 'In Praise of Water Buffalo' (水牛贊), where Guo suggests that the water buffalo should be embraced as a national emblem of strength and humble, yet hard work. See a related painting by Li Keran of a water buffalo and boy, illustrated by S.Little and J.M.L.Barrett, New Songs on Ancient Tunes: 19th-20th Century Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy from the Richard Fabian Collection, Honolulu, 2007, pp.592-593.