11Story

25 January 2010

Kunisada

 

Portrait of Xia Zhenyi. Chen Yuan (fl. mid-14th century) China, Ming dynasty (1368-1644) Photograph. Original painted hanging scroll, ink, pigments on silk, inscribed. 122 x 44 cm © Trustees of the British Museum 1881, 1210, 0.13

In early styles of Chinese portraiture, the artist gave his own visual interpretation of his subject’s moral qualities and therefore did not need the subject to ‘sit’ for him at all. In the later style of portrait shown here, the subject is literary figure Xia Zhenyi (and attendant, not that attendants get noticed in captions). The portrait does not record personal appearance but, as one scholar explains, places the figure in a setting that presents to the viewer ‘a supposed projection of the subject’s mind.’ In this case, the pine tree represents ‘strength and ensuring virtue’, and the painting’s archaic palette supposedly prompts the viewer to connect the subject with ancient sages.

 
 
 

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