Absorb the Past; Abandon the Present

茹古舍今

1800s–1900s

style of Qian Hui'an 錢慧安

(Chinese, 1833–1911)

Culture

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Medium

Accordion-style album of 10 painted leaves; ink and color on silk

Measurements

44 x 35 cm (17 5/16 x 13 3/4 in.); Each painting: 33 x 33 cm (13 x 13 in.)

Credit Line

Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2023.163

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Leaf four depicts Tao Yuanming, carried by servants in a basket as he had an ailing foot. Tao wrote the Peach Blossom Spring tale, in which a fisherman loses his way and ends up in a utopia.

Description

Qian Huian, active in Shanghai, was best known for his paintings of beautiful women, and historic and mythological figures, rendered in a distinct style. His figures appear eccentric and the color palette pale to pink. The album’s title, Absorb the Past, Abandon the Present, reflect the desire to find refuge in China’s Past, as the country was going through the devastating Taiping rebellion at the time the paintings were created.