Skip to Main Content

Listening to the Qin (Zither)

聽琴圖

1150–after 1225

Liu Songnian 劉松年

(Chinese, c. 1150-after 1225)
China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)
Album leaf; ink and slight color on silk
Image: 23.8 x 24.6 cm (9 3/8 x 9 11/16 in.); with mat: 33.3 x 40.5 cm (13 1/8 x 15 15/16 in.)
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1983.85
Location: not on view
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

The three figures are painted with "nail-head and mouse-tail" brushstrokes.

Description

Listening to the Qin recalls the story of Bo Ya, a musician who loved to play the qin (a seven-stringed zither) for Zhong Ziqi, who was a discerning listener. The cool shade of the pine trees and the incense wafting from the burner complemented the atmosphere created by the music. After Zhang died, Bo refused to play the instrument ever again. The intimate format of the album leaf focuses on the music as the key to stir the heart and soul of both player and listener.
Listening to the Qin (Zither)

Listening to the Qin (Zither)

1150–after 1225

Liu Songnian

(Chinese, c. 1150-after 1225)
China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.