Portrait of Wang Shimin c. late 17th century

color-on-silk, ink

abstract painting

water colours

color-on-silk

possibly oil pastel

handmade artwork painting

ink

coloured pencil

underpainting

china

painting painterly

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

watercolor

This handscroll depicts the "Portrait of Wang Shimin" (c. late 17th century) by Gu Jianlong (1606-1687). The scroll, which is housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, portrays Wang Shimin within a serene landscape, possibly his garden. Gu Jianlong's delicate brushstrokes and meticulous attention to detail capture the essence of the Ming Dynasty scholar-official's refined taste and appreciation for nature, a theme central to the artistic tradition of the time. The work showcases Gu Jianlong's expertise in capturing the beauty of both natural and man-made elements in perfect harmony, a characteristic of his artistic style.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

⋮

The revered early-Qing painter and literatus Wang Shimin is portrayed in the very center of this painting in the main hall of his chambers, surrounded by the hardwood furniture and scholarly accoutrements of his station. While Wang seems to dominate the scene here, there are several women also depicted in the painting—some off in a chamber to the upper right, obscured from view; others seem to be working in the kitchen, while another appears to be a nanny, watching a child. This is a typical portrayal of the family of a scholar-official, in which the male figure relaxes while the women work or are hidden away from the viewer’s eye. The architectural elements of this painting allow for the women to be physically and visually separate from the scholar.