The Palaces and Gate Towers of Penglai
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1909.397
Tags
Charles Lang Freer collectionChinaChinese ArtDaoismDaoist ImmortalsQing dynasty (1644 - 1911)blue-and-green styleislandlandscapepalace
About this artwork
The paradise of Penglai is one of the mythological islands that are located in the ocean east of China and inhabited by Daoist deities and immortals. Full of towering peaks, mysterious caves, and gushing waterfalls--and closely associated with the quest for physical immortality--Penglai was the frequent subject of artistic fantasies, such as the painting seen here. In this vision of the magical isle, ornate palaces and pavilions, covered walkways, and opulent belvederes ascend the convoluted mou...