The Four Accomplishments
late 1500s–early 1600s
Medium
pair of six-panel folding screens; ink and slight color on paper
Dimensions
painting: 153 × 358.6 cm · mounted: w. 174 cm, d. 378.5 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1979.46
Tags
About this artwork
This pair of screens shows a group of elite Chinese gentlemen and their servants in the countryside. One man is considering his painting in progress, while another looks on as two of his companions play a board game called qi, known in Japan as Go. Nearby is a table set with a selection of books ready to be read and a qin, a type of stringed instrument, still wrapped in its cloth case waiting to be played. The mood is one of enjoyment balanced with formality. Historically, playing the qin and qi...