Artwork

明 佚名 舊傳李公麟 蘭亭修禊圖 團扇|Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion

明 佚名 舊傳李公麟 蘭亭修禊圖 團扇|Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion, by After Li Gonglin, ink, 1549
明 佚名 舊傳李公麟 蘭亭修禊圖 團扇|Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion, by After Li Gonglin, ink, 1549

明 佚名 舊傳李公麟 蘭亭修禊圖 團扇|Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion is an ink painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist After Li Gonglin. It dates from 1549 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion" is an ink and color painting on silk, originally created as a fan and later mounted as an album leaf.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

While the piece was historically attributed to the Song master Li Gonglin, it is currently recognized as the work of an anonymous artist.

Executed in 1549, this Ming dynasty fan painting illustrates the historical Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion. The composition functions as a landscape genre work, visually centered on a pavilion structure populated by male figures. While the piece was historically attributed to the Song master Li Gonglin, it is currently recognized as the work of an anonymous artist.

The imagery invokes the famous literary event where scholars convened for a spring purification ritual, though the specific iconographic details of the ritual itself are subsumed within the broader depiction of men within a pavilion setting. The work represents a later artistic engagement with this canonical cultural moment, preserving the essential elements of the gathering through the format of a silk fan mounted as an album leaf.

Technique & Style

Executed as a fan that has been mounted as an album leaf, the work employs ink with polychrome pigments on silk. The support is silk, and the composition follows the landscape genre, portraying a solitary figure within a pavilion beside water. Stylistically, the brushwork recalls the manner of Li Gonglin, emphasizing delicate line and subtle tonal modulation.

The piece dates to 1549 and was produced in China, measuring approximately 29.2 cm in height and 27.9 cm in width. It is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.

History & Provenance

The work, titled Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion, is a silk fan painting created in 1549 by an anonymous artist, though it is traditionally attributed to the Song dynasty master Li Gonglin. Executed in ink and color, the piece depicts a landscape scene featuring men and a pavilion. It originated in China and was later mounted as an album leaf.

The current provenance places the object within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While the specific commission details and the chain of ownership prior to its museum acquisition are not detailed in the available records, the work's creation is firmly dated to the mid-16th century Ming period.

The fan painting, dated 1549 and attributed to an anonymous artist after Li Gonglin, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is classified as a painting in the landscape genre and is mounted as an album leaf executed in ink and color on silk. The provided records do not specify an accession number or document any exhibition history for the work.

Legacy

The painting, dated 1549 and executed in ink and color on silk as a fan mounted as an album leaf, exemplifies the landscape tradition associated with the orchid pavilion gathering motif. Attributed to an anonymous follower of Li Gonglin, it is classified within the Ming dynasty painting genre and depicts a man within a pavilion setting. The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, where it is catalogued as a representative example of Chinese fan paintings from the mid‑sixteenth century.

Its inclusion in a major institutional collection has sustained scholarly interest in the stylistic legacy of Li Gonglin’s school and the cultural significance of orchid pavilion imagery.

Overview

"Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion" is an ink and color painting on silk, originally created as a fan and later mounted as an album leaf. This work, dating from 1549 during the Ming dynasty, is by an anonymous artist, though it was historically associated with the style of the earlier master Li Gonglin. It captures a serene landscape depicting a significant cultural event from ancient China, rendered with delicate brushwork characteristic of scholarly taste.

明?   佚名   舊傳李嵩   溪山樓閣圖   扇|Pavilion on a pond
明? 佚名 舊傳李嵩 溪山樓閣圖 扇|Pavilion on a pond, Li Song

Artist & collection

Frequently asked questions

Who painted 明 佚名 舊傳李公麟 蘭亭修禊圖 團扇|Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion?

明 佚名 舊傳李公麟 蘭亭修禊圖 團扇|Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion was painted by After Li Gonglin in 16th or 17th century.

Where can I see 明 佚名 舊傳李公麟 蘭亭修禊圖 團扇|Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion?

明 佚名 舊傳李公麟 蘭亭修禊圖 團扇|Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 明 佚名 舊傳李公麟 蘭亭修禊圖 團扇|Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion?

明 佚名 舊傳李公麟 蘭亭修禊圖 團扇|Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion is associated with Ming dynasty painting.