Confucius, 1905

  • John La Farge, American, 1835-1910

Watercolor and graphite pencil on tissue paper mounted over to heavy cream wove paperboard

  • Sheet: 9 × 12 9/16 inches (22.9 × 31.9 cm) Mount: 10 3/4 × 13 3/8 inches (27.3 × 34 cm)

Founders Society Purchase, Merrill Fund

48.273

Signed and dated, in pencil, lower left: JLF 1905

Inscribed, in pencil, on mount, lower left: Confucious. He plays as usual | before his commentaries, or teaching | The disicples listen interpreting his meaning | He is seated in his usual seat: The Apricot Altar Inscribed, on mount, lower right: Design for the Baltimore Court House Inscribed, on mount, bottom right: Return to John La Farge 51 W [covered by mat]

1948-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

Bulletin of the DIA 29, 1 (1949-1950): pp. 18-20 (ill.). Page, Addison Franklin. "Four Water Color Studies by John La Farge." Art Quarterly 12, 3 (1949): p. 280.

John La Farge, Confucius, 1905, watercolor and graphite pencil on tissue paper mounted over to heavy cream wove paperboard. Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Society Purchase, Merrill Fund, 48.273.