Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden (detail), 1437 After Xie Huan Handscroll; ink and color on silk; 14 3/4 x 94 3/4 in. (37.5 x 240.7 cm) Ex coll.: Weng Tonghe Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1989 (1989.141.3) Painting, calligraphy, and poetry are referred to as "the three perfections" and are traditionally considered the highest forms of artistic and intellectual expression in China. By applying a brush filled with ink or color on either a silk or paper surface, the Chinese artist and calligrapher could paint or write in a variety of traditional formats, including handscrolls, hanging scrolls, albums, and fans. The artist's primary intention was not to reproduce or describe the outward appearance of his chosen subject, whether a landscape, a flower, a bird, or a human being, but to capture its inner nature or essential spirit. The brushstrokes of a painting were thought also to reflect the individual artist's state of mind. An inscription, dedication, and/or poem might be written directly on a painting by the artist or a close friend. Comments, called colophons, by later owners and admirers of a painting are often added on the mounting. These writings are viewed as a vital part of the work of art and add another level of understanding and appreciation for a specific work of art. In Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden, each participant at the party composed a colophon that was added to the completed handscroll, including a preface composed by Yang Shiqi (1365–1444), the eldest guest in attendance, describing the circumstances of this festive event. Back Menu Glossary of Key Terms