Scholar in the Mountains

PU RU (1896-1963)
Scholar in the Mountains
Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper
67.8 x 33.2 cm. (26 ³⁄₄ x 13 ¹⁄₈ in.)
Inscribed and signed, with three seals of the artist
Dedicated to Ruihuang

Mr Sun Ruihuang (1900-1980), known as Zu Ming, was a native of Chongming County, Shanghai. Sun was admitted to the Tsinghua School in Beijing in 1917, graduated in 1921, and went to the U.S. at public expense to study banking. He studied banking at New York University and Columbia University, obtaining a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, respectively. Upon his return to China, he served as a professor at Nankai University, Chief Auditor of the National Construction Commission of the Republic of China, and Deputy Director of the Accounting Department of the General Bureau of Postal Savings and Exchange. In 1930, when Sin Hua Bank was restructured, Mr Sun was invited to serve as Deputy Manager and Deputy General Manager. He remained an influential figure in the banking industry in Shanghai until 1949. The six paintings in this collection are from Sun’s family, and two painting was dedicated to Sun.