Guqin in Chinese Paintings

Silk scroll Colored Length: 167cm Width: 63cm Preserved in Shandong Museum

Yu Zhiding is famous for figure painting, and is especially good at sketch. This painting depicts Qing's leading poet Wang Shizhen, who is playing Guqin on a huge rock. The main character has a delicate feature, and appears to think attentively.

Qing Dynasty (1916-1911) Hong Li Guan He Fu Qin Tu

Unknown author Vertical scroll Silk scroll Colored Length: 299.5cm Width: 156.5cm Preserved in the Palace Museum

In pace with the progressively extending of the Western learning, some European painters began to work in Qing palace. They accepted traditional Chinese painting techniques, while insisting on perspective view when they paint. This painting has no signatures. But someone believes that it is drawn by Giuseppe Castiglione‎, a famous Italian painter. Through perspective view of painting, the author shows the three-dimensional effect and vivid details of both the main character, who is playing Guqin in the pavilion, and his surroundings.

By Zhang Xiaoxiao

Editor: Liu Rong