Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

The Moon Goddess Chang E

After Tang Yin Chinese
Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Not on view
A supremely gifted scholar and painter, Tang Yin forfeited all chances of an official career after being involved in an examination scandal in the capital in 1499. Turning to painting and writing poetry for a living, he led the life of a dissolute scholar and died in poverty. The brilliantly executed Moon Goddess, Chang E is a poignant reminder of Tang Yin's dashed dreams for success in the official examinations, symbolized by the cassia branch in the goddess's left hand. (The word for "cassia" [gui] is a pun on the word for "nobility" [also pronounced gui].) Tang Yin's poem, in bold calligraphy, reads:

She was long ago a resident of the Moon Palace,
Where phoenixes and cranes gathered and embroidered
banners fluttered in heavenly fragrance.
Chang E, in love with the gifted scholar,
Breaks off [for him] the topmost branch of the cassia tree.

A frequent visitor to Suzhou's notorious pleasure quarter, Tang Yin may have painted this glamorous figure, a portrait perhaps, for a favorite companion, whom he regarded as a goddess condemned to mortal suffering. A rectangular seal next to his signature proudly proclaims the artist's moment of worldly success, which occurred in 1498: "Placed First [in the] Nanjing [Provincial Examination]."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Moon Goddess Chang E
  • Artist: Unidentified artist
  • Artist: After Tang Yin (Chinese, 1470–1524)
  • Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 53 5/8 x 23 1/8 in. (136.2 x 58.7 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 109 1/4 x 30 1/4 in. (277.5 x 76.8 cm)
    Overall with knobs: 109 1/4 x 34 in. (277.5 x 86.4 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Douglas Dillon, 1981
  • Object Number: 1981.4.2
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara, Unidentified artist, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, Korea
Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara
Unidentified artist
14th century
Dung-Chen, Brass, copper, cloisonné, Chinese
Dung-Chen
Chinese
1368–1644
Woods and Valleys of Mount Yu, Ni Zan Chinese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, China
Woods and Valleys of Mount Yu
Ni Zan
dated 1372
Portrait of Shun'oku Myōha, Unidentified artist Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, Japan
Portrait of Shun'oku Myōha
Unidentified artist
ca. 1383
Pipa (琵琶 ), Wood, ivory, bone, silk, Chinese
Pipa (琵琶 )
Chinese
late 16th–early 17th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.