Viewing a Painting
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.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.
Artwork Details
- 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
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art