Accession Number2006/2.21
TitlePeach Blossom Spring
Artist(s)Chen Shaomei (aka Ch'en Shao-mei)Object Creation Datecirca 1930-1954Medium & Supportink and light color on paperDimensions 9 1/16 in x 265 3/4 in (23.1 cm x 675 cm);8 11/16 in x 27 15/16 in (22 cm x 71 cm);8 3/4 in x 34 1/16 in (22.2 cm x 86.5 cm);8 11/16 in x 33 7/8 in (22 cm x 86 cm)
Credit LineGift of Ellen and Richard LaingSubject matterThis panoramic view of a pastoral landscape is based on a famous story of Peach Blossom Spring written by one of the greatest poets in China, Tao Yuanming (372-427). After traveling along a stream, a fisherman came to a breathtaking peach grove, where the air was filled with the aroma of peach blossoms, and pink petals fluttered through the air. The fisherman found a cave, and after passing through its narrow walls discovered a vibrant, flourishing village. Surprised to have a visitor, the residents asked where he had come from, and explained that their ancestors had fled and settled there during the harsh Ch’in dynasty (225-209 BCE). After a few days he returned home, and promised the villagers never to share where he had been. Cunningly, the fisherman marked his return path and told his magistrate of the fertile land, yet no one was able to find the idyllic village again.
Physical DescriptionIn this long narrative landscape, our eyes trace the journey of the fisherman, who may be standing in the distance on the left. His boat can be seen tucked behing a rock, and the mouth of a small cave. Pink petals of peach blossoms adorn the trees along to shore of a stream.
Primary Object Classification Painting Primary Object TypehandscrollAdditional Object Classification(s)PaintingRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
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Keywords
boats
caves
streams
villages