![The Ninth Day Literary Gathering at Xing’an [Temporary Retreat]](http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ci/AL18g_RDhOOBeb1bvHmtpXMb017lGip63OTpurjYIemUs-mhrFB7jfSn-qX4CFO4fKp_b-5JMGGZBw)
The Ninth Day Literary Gathering at Xing’an [Temporary Retreat]
Fang Shishu1743
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
By the 1700s, Yangzhou was flourishing both economically and culturally as the most prosperous city in China, having surpassed all other Jiangnan cities in their creation of gardens. This group portrait commemorates a literary gathering in the private garden of the salt merchants and art patrons Ma Yueguan (1688–1755) and his brother Ma Yuelu (1697–after 1766) in Yangzhou. Ma Yueguan received imperial recognition for providing financial aid and food relief for those affected by flood and drought. Ma Yueguan is seen seated at the end of the painting holding an open scroll while Ma Yuelu stands behind the <em>qin </em>instrument player. Among the guests were officials, scholars, poets, painters, and merchants, a mix of local members of a poetry club reflecting increasing social diversity
- Title: The Ninth Day Literary Gathering at Xing’an [Temporary Retreat]
- Creator: Fang Shishu (Chinese, 1693–1751), Ye Fanglin (Chinese, active late 1600s–mid-1700s)
- Date Created: 1743
- Physical Dimensions: Image: 32.4 x 201.2 cm (12 3/4 x 79 3/16 in.); Overall: 33.5 x 893 cm (13 3/16 x 351 9/16 in.)
- Provenance: Ma Yueguan 馬曰琯 [1688–1755] and Ma Yuelu 馬曰璐 [1697–after 1766], Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China, Chen Kuilin 陳夔麟 [1855–after 1915], (Wan-go Weng 翁萬戈 [1918–2020], Lyme, NH, sold sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Type: Painting
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1979.72
- Medium: Handscroll; ink and color on silk
- Inscriptions: Fang Shishu's seal at beginning of painting: Ou ran shi de 偶然拾得. Ye Fanglin's seal at end of painting: Fanglin 芳林. Frontispiece title dated 1743 and 3 seals of Chen Bangyan 陳邦彦 (1678-1752)., 行庵在揚州北郭天寧寺西隅，馬君嶰谷半槎兄弟購僧房隙地所築，以為游息之處也。寺為晉謝太傅別墅。西隅饒古木，䨴鬱陰森，入林最僻，不知其近郛郭。庵居其中，無斲礱髤采之飾，惟軒庭多得清蔭，來憩者每流連而不能去。乾隆癸亥九日，積雨既收，風日清美，遂約同人，咸集於斯，中縣［懸］仇英白描陶靖節像，采黃花，酌白醪為供，乃以人世難逢開口笑，菊花雖插滿頭歸分韻賦詩。陶陶衎衎，觴詠竟日。既逾月，吳中寫真葉君敬［震］初適來，群貌小像，合為一卷，方君環山補景，命曰九日行庵文讌圖。裝池成，將各書所作於後，而囑鶚為之記。記按圖中共坐短榻者二人：右箕踞者，為武陵胡復齋先生期恆；左抱膝者，為天門唐南軒先生建中也。坐繩床者二人：中手牋者，歙方環山士庶；左仰首如欲語者，江都閔玉井華也。一人坐藤塾捻髭者，鄞全謝山祖望也。一人倚石坐若凝思者，臨潼張漁川四科也。樹下二人：離立把菊者，錢唐厲樊榭鶚；袖手者，錢唐陳竹町章也。一人憑石床坐撫琴者，江都程香溪先生夢星也。聽者三人：一人垂袖立者，祁門馬半查曰璐；二人坐瓷塾，左倚樹、右跂腳者，歙方西疇士疌 、汪恬齋玉樞也。二人對坐展卷者，左祁門馬嶰谷曰琯，右吳江王梅沂藻也。一人觀者，負手立於右，江都陸南圻鐘輝也。從後相倚觀者一人，歙洪曲溪振珂也。童子種菊者三人：樹間侍立者一人，撰杖、執卷者各一人。其植有蕉、有竹，又有雜樹，作丹黃青碧之色，紀時也。夫重九佳名，舉俗所重，而高常侍歎獨坐而搔首，陸天隨感登高以剫門，無其時地與人耳。今吾儕幸生太平，遇勝地，又皆素心有文之侶，固人世不可多得之會；而此十六人者，或土斷，或客游，聚散不常。異日者，歲月遷流，撫節物以有懷，一披此圖，悅如晤對。將來覽者，或亦不異此意乎。甲子夏五十有四日厲鴞記並書。, 揚州為江北大都會，居民連甍接楹，笙歌輿從，竟日喧聚，其於淸歌雅集，葢罕矣。城北天寧寺，為晉謝公駐節時所游息，其中有行庵，吾友馬君嶰谷、半查兄弟之小築也。地不踰五畝，而老樹古藤，森蔚相望，皆千百年物，間以修竹，春鳥秋蟲，更唱迭和，其間曲廊高榭，位置閑適。出門未數百步，即黃塵濁流極目，令人作惡。而此中獨蕭然有人外之思。乾隆八年九日，嶰谷兄弟招集同社一十四人祀陶公，出所藏仇實父白描像懸於閣上，各賦一詩。予方留滯西泠，未得預也。又踰旬而予至，諸君方擬繪圖記事，嶰谷曰：是不可無君。乃以展日更舉，令予得陪卷軸之末；而洪君曲溪，兩度皆以病失約，然故吟社中人也，亦補入焉。予太息謂諸君曰：謝公之風流，千古如在；然其游息於斯也，則與東山賓從之樂稍不同矣。公之為是行也，蓋以符氏之亂，思北定中原也。而其時公巳困於讒口，不自安於朝；雖在河朔極有可乘之會，而神明內索，徘徊不克自前。老師左次，竟無尺寸之功，坐失事幾。吾常過邵伯之埭，吊法雲之荒祠，未嘗不喟然累啼，以為明德之衰也。至若九日嘉名，陶公高格，固在羲皇懷葛之間；然而讀其 止酒之詩，蒼梧漢水之感，以瘦詞寄其孤憤則夫黃花白酒，蓋亦不得巳而漫與焉者。今吾輩生逢太平之日，書淫墨癖，是處留連，胸次中了無一事，為江湖之幸民，論人雖甚媿，論其時與地，則不可不私相慶也。諸君曰：善。圖之詳巳見於厲君樊榭記中。予之許為嶰谷兄弟序斯圖也，三年於茲；今夏重披圖捉筆，而唐丈南軒，巳化為異物矣。對酒當歌，人生幾何，願與諸君並日相遇從焉。丙寅夏杪孤山社小泉翁全祖望序。, 6 additional colophons and 15 additional seals: 1 colophon, dated 1746, and 1 seal of Huang Zhijun 黃之雋 (1668-after 1746); 1 colophon and 2 seals of Zha Xiang 查祥 (1718 jinshi); 1 colophon, dated 1746, and 3 seals of Zhang Siwen 張思問; 1 colophon, dated 1748, and 4 seals of Shao Dong 卲東 (1721 jinshi); 1 colophon, dated 1753, and 2 seals of Fang Shiju 方世舉 (signing as Fang Funan 方扶南); 1 colophon, dated 1808, of Ruan Yuan 阮元 (1764–1849); 3 seals unidentified.
- Fun Fact: The two hosts and their fourteen guests were all officials, scholars, poets, painters, and salt merchants.
- Department: Chinese Art
- Culture: China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
- Credit Line: Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
- Collection: ASIAN - Handscroll
- Accession Number: 1979.72
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