Lofty hermits in pine pavilion

Painting on folding fans became popular in the Ming Dynasty. When painting landscapes in a fan-shaped format, artists often established a horizontal ground line above the level of the curve of the fan surface or slightly distorted and curved the landscape forms to accentuate the uniqueness of the fan shape. Qian Gu has utilized the latter device in this Lofty Hermits in Pine Pavilion to create a balanced composition. As one of the outstanding followers of Wen Zhengming, with this work illustrating scholars appreciating the waterfall among the pines with refined brushwork and archaic colours, Qian has fully demonstrated the charm of the Wu school.