Scholar Playing a Qin
Unknown Artist
1800s
Medium
album leaf; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
26.5 × 26.5 cm · painting only: 23.5 × 23.8 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Korean Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1990.69
About this artwork
The painting invites viewers to an intimate qin, or zither, recital in the cool breezy night under the moon. The musician at the center gently strums the strings, while his servant boy is drowsing, without realizing the tea pot is steaming. In older times, playing a musical instrument was considered an effective way to cultivate one's spiritual and mental balance.