北宋 佚名 睢陽五老，畢世長像 冊頁|Portrait of Bi Shichang, from the set Five Old Men of Suiyang
before 1056
Medium
Album leaf; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
Image: 15 3/4 x 12 5/8 in. (40 x 32.1 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Northern Song dynasty (960–1127)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.170.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite album leaf, titled *Portrait of Bi Shich, from the set Five Men of Suiyang*, the dignified likeness of a revered elder from China's Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), by an unidentified artist before 1056. Part of a rare series honoring the "Five Old Men of Sui"—legendary recluses known for their wisdom and moral integrity—the painting reflects Song-era admiration for scholarly hermits who embodied Confucian ideals of virtue over worldly ambition. These figures, rooted in Tang dynasty lore, symbolized a life of quiet contemplation amid political turmoil. Rendered in ink and colo...