Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden

This colorful painting depicts the theme of the “Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden,” which commemorates an—imaginary—assembly of sixteen prominent Chinese statesmen, literati, and artists of the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127). The account of the legendary gathering was originally written by the scholar-painter Mi Fu and painted by his contemporary Li Gonglin. It became a popular subject in Chinese painting and, later, for Japanese Nanga painters. Here, the overall composition and representation of figures adheres to established Chinese conventions. Mi Fu stands with brush in hand, Li Gonglin sits at a table in the center right, and their fellow literatus Su Shi, with his scholar’s hat, brushes calligraphy at the lower right. The inscription indicates that the work was commissioned by Kameyama Muken, a noted calligrapher of the late Edo period and acquaintance of Chikuden’s.

客滿西園擧酒辰，神州九點不生塵。
只今吾國美於彼，必出蘇黃一籌人。
夢硯詞契囑予寫《西園雅集圖》始成，
因係一內見意。時丙戌中秋前一日。田憲
The Western Garden was once filled with guests,
being offered wine,
During a time the dust of the world did not arise
in that Divine Land [China].
Since our country [Japan] is even more
beautiful than theirs now,
People of the likes of Su Shi and Huang Tingjian
are bound to appear here as well.
Inscribed in 1826, on the fourteenth day of the eighth month, upon the completion of the painting, Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden, which was commissioned by my literary friend [Kameyama] Muken. I have composed this quatrain to express my innermost feelings. [Signed] Den’ken.
—Trans. Shi-yee Liu