Tao Yuanming Seated Under a Willow

Currently not on view

Tao Yuanming Seated Under a Willow

1812

Tani Bunchō (Japanese, 1763–1840)

Tani Buncho was a leading master of the Japanese literati school in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. His work was often inspired by Chinese prototypes and themes, as in this portrait of Tao Yuanming. Tao Yuanming (365-427) was born into the educated aristocracy and held a number of government positions. When he retired, he returned to his family's ancestral village to live the life of a recluse. Tao served as a model of the cultivated literati, writing poetry, painting, practicing calligraphy, and sharing art, books, and wine with like-minded friends. Here he is shown gazing up at the gourd that contains his wine.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Tao Yuanming Seated Under a Willow

Date:

1812

Artist:

Tani Bunchō (Japanese, 1763–1840)

Medium:

Ink on paper; mounted as a hanging scroll

Dimensions:

38 1/2 × 13 5/8 inches (97.8 × 34.6 cm) Mount: 6 feet 3 1/2 inches × 19 inches (191.8 × 48.3 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Purchased with the Hollis Family Foundation Fund, 2003

Accession Number:

2003-179-1

Geography:

Made in Japan, Asia

Context:

Period: Edo Period (1615-1868)

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Currently not on view