Immortals in Clouds 云中仙人漆柄团扇
Qing dynasty (1644–1912), 1894
Medium
Fan; ink and color on gilded paper, with bamboo handle
Dimensions
25.3 × 26 cm (painting) L: 41.3 cm (with handle)
Classification
fan
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
132940
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite *Immortals in Clouds* (云中仙人漆柄团扇), a Qing dynasty fan painting by Chen Yongqi from 1894, now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection. Crafted with ink and vibrant colors on luxurious gilded paper, mounted on a slender bamboo handle, this 25.3 × 26 cm artwork (41.3 cm with handle) exemplifies the refined artistry of late imperial China. Fans like this were not mere utilitarian objects but cherished possessions—portable canvases for poetry, calligraphy, and scenes of the divine, often gifted among scholars and elites. The composition evokes the ether...