The Peach Blossom Spring 桃花源圖
Late Ming (1368–1644) or early Qing (1644–1912) dynasty 明朝
Medium
Handscroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
32.5 × 558.2 cm (12 13/16 × 219 3/4 in.)
Classification
handscroll
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
75361
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This painting illustrates a fable written by Tao Qian (365-427). From right to left, the scroll depicts a fisherman’s accidental discovery of a peaceful and bountiful farming valley, which is isolated within a mountain cave. The valley’s inhabitants, who had fled from political turmoil six centuries earlier, are unaware of subsequent events in the outside world. Blossoming peach trees, symbolic of immortality, conceal the entrance to their secluded paradise. In depicting this mythic tale, many ...