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Viewing a Painting

Fu Baoshi Chinese

dated 1943

Not on view

This painting celebrates the scholarly pastime of gentlemen appreciating works of art. The men view a painting in front of a low table set with antique bronzes and scrolls that await their perusal. Ingeniously, the screen behind the men provides another glimpse into their elegant lifestyle by depicting scholars engaged in a chess game. But while Fu’s subjects are the traditional cultural pursuits of the literati, his realistic shading of the figures’ faces reveals the influence of Western artistic techniques that he learned during his sojourn in Japan.

Viewing a Painting, Fu Baoshi (Chinese, 1904–1965), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, China — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Viewing a Painting

Artist: Fu Baoshi (Chinese, 1904–1965)

Date: dated 1943

Culture: China

Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper

Dimensions: Image: 43 5/16 x 24 5/8 in. (110 x 62.5 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Credit Line: Lent by a private collection, New York

Accession Number: SL.8.2012.3.1

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Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.