Farewell to Hua Yun 1545

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painting, paper, watercolor, ink

water colours

painting

asian-art

landscape

figuration

paper

watercolor

ink

history-painting

watercolor

Qian Gu painted this farewell scene sometime in the 16th century using ink and color on paper. We see scholar Hua Yun departing, marked by the iconic image of a traveler on horseback. Throughout history, the horse has symbolized travel, status, and vitality. Here, its presence evokes a sense of transience and the emotional weight of departures. Note how, from ancient Greek equestrian statues to Renaissance paintings of triumphant riders, the horse carries deep cultural significance, embodying power and movement. Consider too the symbolism of bare trees and the pale landscape, indicative of winter, signifying the end of a cycle, a time of reflection and introspection. Such stark imagery touches on universal feelings of loss and the poignant nature of human connections. These symbols resonate through time, evoking shared emotional experiences that transcend cultural boundaries.

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minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

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Of all the artists associated with the great literatus Wen Zhengming(1470-1559), Qian Gu was perhaps closest to the master in technique and artistic temperament. Qian was a direct disciple and learned poetry and calligraphy as well as painting from Wen whose stylistic influence is clearly evident in this classic Wu school commemorative painting. The first of fourteen inscriptions attached to this scroll explains its subject. The Suzhou scholar Hua Yun (1488-1560), who had received his jinshi degree in 1541 and was serving the Ministry of Revenue in Beijing, had returned home in 1545 to attend his father's funeral. When it was time for him to return to the capital, his sons, son-in-law, students, and friends, including the present artist, had a little farewell gathering along the banks of the grand canal. Several of these friends wrote the poetic inscriptions attached to the painting. In this farewell scene Hua Yun is in the red robe receiving a cup of wine offered by a student, while his brother-in-law stands to one side. Farewell parties were a large part of the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Suzhou literati scene. The inscription reads:On an auspicious month of the year 1545.Done by Qian Gu of Zhangzhou.