Who painted 清高簡説詩圖卷|Discourse on Poetry?

清高簡説詩圖卷|Discourse on Poetry was painted by Gao Jian in 1698.

Where can I see 清高簡説詩圖卷|Discourse on Poetry?

清高簡説詩圖卷|Discourse on Poetry is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 清高簡説詩圖卷|Discourse on Poetry?

清高簡説詩圖卷|Discourse on Poetry is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

清高簡説詩圖卷|Discourse on Poetry

Gao Jian , 1698

清高簡説詩圖卷|Discourse on Poetry is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Gao Jian. It dates from 1698 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

A long, narrow scroll in black ink: scholars in a garden, trees bending over rocks, small bridges crossing streams. Gao Jian painted it in 1698 for a friend who loved poetry. The two men sit under a pine talking while a servant brings tea, every leaf and rock drawn in quick, dry strokes.

Technique & Style

The work belongs to the landscape painting genre, specifically depicting garden scenes and broader landscape elements.

Gao Jian's Discourse on Poetry, created in 1698, is executed as a handscroll utilizing ink on paper. The work belongs to the landscape painting genre, specifically depicting garden scenes and broader landscape elements. Physically, the scroll measures 34.8 centimeters in height and 90 centimeters in width.

As a traditional Chinese handscroll, the medium of ink on paper dictates a monochromatic palette and specific handling techniques characteristic of the late 17th-century landscape tradition. The support material, paper, allows for the nuanced gradations of ink wash typical of the period's landscape style, focusing on the atmospheric rendering of natural and cultivated spaces.

History & Provenance

The handscroll Discourse on Poetry was produced in 1698 in China by Gao Jian, employing ink on paper. Its subject, a garden landscape, fits the landscape painting genre noted in both the internal catalogue and Wikidata. The work was created as a scholarly illustration of poetic discourse, reflecting the late Qing artistic milieu.

It is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, and its documented inception date of 1698 is corroborated by the museum’s records.

The handscroll Discourse on Poetry (1698) by Gao Jian is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its accession number is not specified in available records. The work has not been recorded in any documented exhibition history according to current institutional sources.

Overview

Gao Jian's "Discourse on Poetry," created in 1698, is an ink-on-paper handscroll. This painting depicts a serene garden landscape, characteristic of traditional Chinese painting. It features scholarly figures engaged in conversation amidst natural elements, rendered with a focus on line and texture, inviting viewers to contemplate a tranquil, unfolding scene.

Subject & Meaning

The handscroll illustrates a private gathering within a tranquil garden setting. Two scholarly figures are depicted beneath a towering pine tree, engaged in conversation, while a servant approaches with tea. This intimate scene suggests a discourse on poetry, reflecting the shared intellectual pursuits and camaraderie between the artist, Gao Jian, and the friend for whom the work was created.

Context

This painting was specifically created by Gao Jian for a close friend who held a deep appreciation for poetry. The artwork thus functions as a visual testament to their shared interests and intellectual bond. Such personal dedications were common among literati artists, serving as gifts that encapsulated mutual respect and aesthetic sensibilities within scholarly circles.