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.
Provenance
Cheng Qi 程琦 [1911–1988], Hong
Kong, to his daughter Julia C. Chiang; Mrs. Julia C. Chiang, New Jersey; (Clark Cheng, Mountainside, NJ, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1983); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1983–)
Accession Number
1983.85
Medium
Album leaf; ink and slight color on silk
Dimensions
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.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund