The Qutang Gorge
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.The Qutang Gorge, located along the upper reaches of the Yangzi River in western China, has long been celebrated in literature and art for its grandeur and danger. Living in nearby Chongqing during the Sino-Japanese War, Fu Baoshi repeatedly painted its spectacular scenery. His diagonal composition intensifies the sense of the river’s momentum while his juxtaposition of wispy sails against the implacable cliffs suggests the ephemerality of human existence.
In this painting, Fu transcribed a poem by the Sichuan poet Lü Qian (1621–1706) on the theme of homesickness. It resonates with his own sorrow over his forced dislocation from Nanjing, situated on the lower Yangzi River to the east:
A few sails float on the river beyond the pavilion.
Standing so long against the west wind, my temples turn gray.
Only my homesick heart does not flow eastward downstream,
Since it long ago followed the misty moon up the Qutang Gorge.
In this painting, Fu transcribed a poem by the Sichuan poet Lü Qian (1621–1706) on the theme of homesickness. It resonates with his own sorrow over his forced dislocation from Nanjing, situated on the lower Yangzi River to the east:
A few sails float on the river beyond the pavilion.
Standing so long against the west wind, my temples turn gray.
Only my homesick heart does not flow eastward downstream,
Since it long ago followed the misty moon up the Qutang Gorge.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Qutang Gorge
- Artist: Fu Baoshi (Chinese, 1904–1965)
- Date: dated 1944
- Culture: China
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 20 11/16 x 23 7/8 in. (52.5 x 60.7 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Lent by a private collection, New York
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art