Layered Peaks and Splashing Waterfall: Portrait of Hua Yan as a Young Man
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
281 × 95 cm · painting: 130 × 47.2 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of various donors by exchange
Accession Number
2001.120
Tags
About this artwork
This portrait was jointly executed by Wei Shijie and Hua Yan himself who painted the landscape in the background. Hua Yan is shown here at the age of about 23. The sword at his back is a reference to his early desire for a military career, while the scholar’s robe suggests an opposing aspiration. Together these are signs of a complex personality. The painting also reveals Hua Yan’s early talent in painting. While Wei Shijie is little known, Hua Yan would later become a well-known painter. In add...