Parting from a Friend under Autumn Trees
17th-18th century
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1915.29
Tags
About this artwork
To 1915
Art Historical Context
"Parting from a Friend under Trees," attributed to the Qing dynasty artist Gu Fuzhen (1634–ca. 1716), captures a poignant moment of farewell amid the vivid hues of autumn foliage. Created in the 17th or 18th century during China's Qing era (1644–1911), this painting reflects the literati tradition of evoking nature's beauty intertwined with human emotion. Autumn trees, with their fleeting colors, symbolize transience and melancholy—common motifs in Chinese art that resonate with Confucian and Daoist ideals of life's impermanence. Gu Fuzhen, active in the vibrant artistic circles of Nanjing, b...