Artwork
明 佚名 倣吳偉 漢鍾離像 軸|The Immortal, Zhong li
明 佚名 倣吳偉 漢鍾離像 軸|The Immortal, Zhong li is an ink painting by the Chinese Orthodox School artist Wu Wei. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 13.100.23
- Credit line
- John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a religious work, it uses the depiction of an immortal to symbolize longevity and spiritual transcendence, reflecting the genre’s devotional focus.
The painting portrays a male figure identified as the Daoist immortal Zhongli, a subject drawn from Chinese religious tradition. As a religious work, it uses the depiction of an immortal to symbolize longevity and spiritual transcendence, reflecting the genre’s devotional focus. The composition follows the conventions of hanging scroll painting, rendered in ink and color on paper in 1639.
The figure’s representation aligns with the classification of the piece as a religious painting within the corpus, and the work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.
Technique & Style
Created in 1639 by an unidentified Chinese artist, this hanging scroll depicts the immortal Zhongli Quan. The work is executed using ink and color on a paper support. While the piece is attributed as an imitation of the style of Wu Wei, it stands as a distinct religious painting from the Ming dynasty.
The composition focuses on a single male figure, rendered with the specific handling characteristic of the period's devotional imagery. The scroll measures 114.3 cm in height and 45.1 cm in width.
History & Provenance
The work is a hanging scroll dated 1639, attributed to an unidentified Ming-dynasty painter working in the manner of Wu Wei. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held. The scroll depicts the Daoist immortal Zhongli Quan and measures 114.3 cm in height and 45.1 cm in width. Its creation falls within the late Ming period, aligning with the documented date of 1639.
The hanging scroll titled The Immortal, Zhong li is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created in 1639 by an unidentified artist working in the style of Wu Wei, the work is classified as a religious painting depicting a man. The museum's records list the piece under the accession details associated with its entry in the institution's catalog. No specific exhibition history is provided in the available records.
Overview
The hanging scroll, executed in ink and color on paper, dates to 1639 in the late Ming period. It portrays the Taoist figure Han Zhongli, one of the celebrated Eight Immortals, shown levitating amid a stylized cloud. The composition emphasizes his serene demeanor, with a slight smile, a raised hand, and a partially exposed belly, all rendered in the flowing brushwork typical of the era.
Artist & collection
