Portrait of Tao Yuanming

chenhongshou

toned paper

light pencil work

pencil sketch

personal sketchbook

coloured pencil

coffee painting

underpainting

watercolour illustration

sketchbook art

watercolor

"Portrait of Tao Yuanming" is a painting by Chen Hongshou, a prominent Chinese artist of the Ming dynasty. The painting depicts Tao Yuanming, a celebrated poet and official who is known for his reclusive lifestyle and love of nature. The subject is depicted holding a sprig of chrysanthemums, a symbol of purity and simplicity, and is sitting on a rock with a simple, almost minimalist landscape surrounding him. This painting reflects the artist’s interest in literati themes, which often celebrated the ideals of scholarship and refined taste, evident in the subject matter and composition.