<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/n3UJn.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/n3UJn.png" alt="Artist name transcription" /></a></p>
<p>The artist used two <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtesy_name" rel="nofollow noreferrer">courtesy names</a> in the piece:</p>
<ul>
<li>One in the calligraphy, 新羅山人;</li>
<li>One in the seal, 秌（秋）（岳）.</li>
</ul>
<p>The artist's real name is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Yan" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「華嵒」 (Mandarin Pinyin: <strong>Huà Yán</strong>)</a>, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Qīng Dynasty</a> painter.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Notes on seal character identification</h3>
<p>In the seal,</p>
<ul>
<li><p>「秋」 uses the variation 「秌」, where 「禾」 and 「火」 are switched around;</p>
</li>
<li><p>「岳」 is written with a shape like</p>
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">商</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">甲</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/dwQxI.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/dwQxI.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">鐵</a>267.4<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.net/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=14423&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集14423</a></kbd></p>
<p>where the middle peak of <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=856" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「山」 (<em>picture of a mountain with multiple peaks</em>)</a> is exaggerated, and <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=161" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「丘」 appears in its historical form (<em>picture of hills with multiple peaks</em>)</a> (glyph evolution below):</p>
<p><kbd>商<br>甲<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/5f81V.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5f81V.png" alt="" /></a><br><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">佚</a>733<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.net/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=5602&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集5602</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">戰國</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi_(state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">齊</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">金</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/sfkTU.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/sfkTU.png" alt="" /></a><br>子禾子釜<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.net/yzjwjc/?bh=10374&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成10374</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">秦</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips" rel="nofollow noreferrer">簡</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Hpl8h.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Hpl8h.png" alt="" /></a><br>封診式47<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts" rel="nofollow noreferrer">睡虎地秦簡</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Western_Han" rel="nofollow noreferrer">西漢</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">隸</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/KA5qU.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/KA5qU.png" alt="岳" /></a><br>縱橫157<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawangdui_Silk_Texts" rel="nofollow noreferrer">馬王堆帛書</a></kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楷</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/44PdH.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/44PdH.png" alt="丘" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-01T22:13:45.200Z
2021-10-01T22:13:45.200Z
dROOOze
<p>This is a signature on a watercolor painting.  I'm trying to figure out who the artist is. I don't know if it's Chinese or Japanese. Any help would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/IFZLB.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/IFZLB.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a> <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kOWk9.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kOWk9.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

<translation><character-identification><seal><calligraphy>
I'm trying to figure out who the artist is on a painting. I don't know if it's Chinese or Japanese (Characters identified: 新羅山人 秋岳)
# I'm trying to figure out who the artist is on a painting. I don't know if it's Chinese or Japanese (Characters identified: 新羅山人 秋岳)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-01)

This is a signature on a watercolor painting. I'm trying to figure out who the artist is. I don't know if it's Chinese or Japanese. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/IFZLB.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/IFZLB.png) [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/kOWk9.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/kOWk9.jpg)

**Tags:** translation, character-identification, seal, calligraphy


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-10-01. Score: 4

[![Artist name transcription](https://i.sstatic.net/n3UJn.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/n3UJn.png)

The artist used two [courtesy names](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtesy_name) in the piece:

* One in the calligraphy, 新羅山人;
* One in the seal, 秌（秋）（岳）.

The artist's real name is [「華嵒」 (Mandarin Pinyin: **Huà Yán**)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Yan), a [Qīng Dynasty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_dynasty) painter.

---

### Notes on seal character identification

In the seal,

* 「秋」 uses the variation 「秌」, where 「禾」 and 「火」 are switched around;
* 「岳」 is written with a shape like

  `商  
  甲  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/dwQxI.png)  
  鐵267.4  
  合集14423`

  where the middle peak of [「山」 (*picture of a mountain with multiple peaks*)](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=856) is exaggerated, and [「丘」 appears in its historical form (*picture of hills with multiple peaks*)](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=161) (glyph evolution below):

  `商  
  甲  
  ![](https://i.sstatic.net/5f81V.png)  
  佚733  
  合集5602``戰國・齊  
  金  
  ![](https://i.sstatic.net/sfkTU.png)  
  子禾子釜  
  集成10374``秦  
  簡  
  ![](https://i.sstatic.net/Hpl8h.png)  
  封診式47  
  睡虎地秦簡``西漢  
  隸  
  ![岳](https://i.sstatic.net/KA5qU.png)  
  縱橫157  
  馬王堆帛書` `楷  
  ![丘](https://i.sstatic.net/44PdH.png)`


---

