元 錢選 王羲之觀鵝圖 卷|Wang Xizhi watching geese
ca. 1295
Medium
Handscroll; ink, color, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Image: 9 1/8 x 36 1/2 in. (23.2 x 92.7 cm) Overall with mounting: 11 x 418 13/16 in. (27.9 x 1063.8 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Ex coll.: C. C. Wang Family, Gift of The Dillon Fund, 1973
Accession Number
1973.120.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the tranquil elegance of Qian Xuan's *Wang Xizhi Watching Ge* (ca. 1295), a Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) handscroll masterpiece, we encounter the legendary Eastern Jin calligrapher Wang Xhi, China's "Sage of Calligraphy." The scene captures a serene moment inspired by a famous anecdote: Wang, mesmerized by the graceful movements geese in a Zhejiang pond, sought to acquire them to study their fluid forms, ultimately refining his iconic cursive script. Rendered in ink, color, and gold on paper (9 1/8 x 36 1/2 in.), this work evokes the literati ideal of harmony between nature and artistic inspira...