Unknown

Viewing a scroll painting c.1700–1725

This painting on silk depicts the pastimes of a scholar with a flowing beard, who is shown on his mansion’s verandah beside a lake filled with lotus flowers. He is seated in a scholar ‘root chair’, with two other friends, admiring a landscape scroll painting which is being held up by a young boy servant. The table is filled with items such as bronze vases (Hu), an incense burner, scroll weights of jade or bronze as well as other paintings.

The calligraphic text reads: ‘Su Dong Po (1036-1101) of Song Dynasty worked at Wang Zhou (China). In his spare time he enjoyed the traditional art with his colleagues and composed poetry for each work.’

This work is painted in the ‘Kong Pi’ technique, or Emperor’s style which is characterised by an outline of fine lines which is filled in with colour.