What is written in this image?

[furiop]

In a "chinese" peinture there's a written sentence, but I cannot recognise the characters...

Can you help me?

Thank you,

Furio Petrossi

[Publius]

灕江漁火圖

乙亥永華(作?於?)桃花江畔半月居

[furiop]

10 hours ago, Publius said:

灕江漁火圖

Oh! right to left and top to bottom!

 

It is a picture about 漓江渔火”是具有千年历史积淀的人文民俗景观。渔民着一叶竹排，排头挂着汽灯，利用鱼在夜间趋光的习性，划排于江中，引鱼汇聚。
"Yujiang fishing fire" is a humanistic folk landscape with a thousand years of history. The fishermen are wearing a bamboo raft, hanging steam lamps at the head, using the habit of fish to light at night, rowing in the river, attracting fish to gather.

 

I'm not able to traslate, but it's similar to

灕江漁火圖 乙亥 永華 作於 桃花 江畔 半月 居
LíJiāng yúhuǒ tú - yǐhài yǒng Huá zuòwū táohuā jiāngpàn bànyuè jū

Lí Jiāng river lights on fishing boats picture - Twelfth year (a date?) eternal flower (China?) made in Peach Blossom riverbank half moon

 

Thank you very much!

[Publius]

Yes, traditional Chinese texts are written vertically from top to bottom and right to left. Horizontal right-to-left is but a special case when row height equals one.

 

乙亥 is a year in Chinese cyclical calendar (干支紀年) that corresponds to 1995 or 1935 or 1875 or 1815.... Years in imperial times can often be narrowed down by the era name (年號). The era system is till in use in Taiwan and Japan (e.g. 2018 = 民國107年 = 平成30年) but not in mainland China. So I'd place this painting at 1995 in PRC.

永華 obviously is the artist's name because it also appears in one of the chops/seals on the left.

桃花江 is a tributary of the Li River that flows through the city of Guilin.

半月居 is likely the artist's 齋號 or the name he calls his study/studio.

 

It looks like your first foray into the Chinese art world. I can imagine a scenario like this will happen sooner or later:

(in a restaurant)

Friend: Hey, you've been studying Chinese for years. What does that painting say (points to the wall)?

You: ......

[furiop]

1 hour ago, Publius said:

studying Chinese for years

Oh, I had only an HSK2 certificate! (and obtained at my 69th  year of age, I hope to survive till HSK 6... ? ).

It is a peinture of a friend.

I was surprised about "火漁", not in dictionary, where there's a "漁火", so... right to left is the solution...

Thank you very much Publius... (a latin name!... I'm italian...), 

Furio (a latin name too)

[furiop]

On 10/13/2018 at 1:17 PM, Publius said:

永華 obviously is the artist's name

The artist seems to be 关永华  (  http://www.sohu.com/a/219783577_795160 ) a similar paint is on http://www.136213.cn/zihua/2179.html , but the calligraphy seems to be a little different.

Bye,

Furio