Scholar and attendants
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1916.567
Tags
About this artwork
To 1916
Art Historical Context
"Scholar and Attendants" is a captivating painting from the Ming dynasty1368–1644), once attributed to the legendary early figure painter Lu Tanwei, active in the 460 to early 500s. Lu Tanwei, a master of the Southern Dynasties, was renowned for his precise, expressive depictions of human figures, influencing generations of artists. Though created centuries later, this work reflects the Ming era's deep reverence for antiquity, where painters often emulated ancient masters to evoke timeless elegance and moral virtue. The composition likely portrays a Confucian scholar surrounded by attendants,...