The Lutanist

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The Lutanist (琴士圖)

Tang Yin (唐寅, 1470-1532), Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

Handscroll, ink and light colors on paper, 29.2 x 197.5 cm, National Palace Museum, Taipei

       In this handscroll a scholar sits and plays the lute among rocks, pines, and water with books, an inkstone, bronzes and curios around him in an elegant scholarly manner. A gurgling stream also seems to accompany the music. The musician is Yang Jijing (楊季靜), a native of Wu. Known for his talent with the lute, Tang Yin painted him twice, this work being one of them.

       This painting is a good example of Tang Yin's work at its most refined - scholarly in content, yet highly professional in technique.

Tang Yin: The Lutanist