Search

A concrete cantilevered building against blue sky and green landscaping

A large green wall with oil paintings in gold frames above a tiled floor

A museum interior space with paintings and concrete walls and stairs

A concrete-walled lobby with windows, a tiled floor, and a circular desk

The top of a concrete spiral staircase with a wooden railing

A tall tree is the focal point of a garden in between two concrete buildings

About arrow_back

Admission for everyone is always free! Check here for current hours and more.

A concrete cantilevered building against blue sky and green landscaping

Collections arrow_back

The Johnson Museum holds more than 40,000 works in its collection from around the world.

A large green wall with oil paintings in gold frames above a tiled floor

Exhibitions arrow_back

Check out what’s on view this season at the Museum and look back through our history.

A museum interior space with paintings and concrete walls and stairs

Events arrow_back

Free events for everyone, plus special programs for students, families, and more!

A concrete-walled lobby with windows, a tiled floor, and a circular desk

Learn arrow_back

The Johnson Museum actively contributes to the intellectual life of our campus and community.

The top of a concrete spiral staircase with a wooden railing

Support arrow_back

Help the Johnson Museum continue its legacy by making a gift today.

A tall tree is the focal point of a garden in between two concrete buildings

Wu Li

(Chinese, 1632–1718)

The Lute Song

View All Works

Object Details

Artist

Wu Li

Date

Qing dynasty, 1681

Medium

Handscroll: ink and colors on paper

Dimensions

Image: 10 x 39 1/4 inches (25.4 x 99.7 cm)

Credit Line

George and Mary Rockwell Collection

Object
Number

65.665

The subject of this short handscroll is taken from one the best-known poems of the famous Tang poet (…)

The subject of this short handscroll is taken from one the best-known poems of the famous Tang poet Bo Zhuyi. Composed in 816, the poem tells the tale of the exiled poet who late one autumn evening hears the sounds of the lute from a boat moored by the riverside and finds a former lady of the court, now married to a country merchant, playing songs on the lute that remind them both of their former years at the court. The age-old themes of loneliness, political exile, remoteness from civilized pleasures, along with the lyrical enchantment of an autumn evening with moonlight on a misty river, are described by Wu Li with understated elegance in this deft handling of a great poem. Among Wu Li’s distinctions was his conversion to Christianity, a rarity among Chinese painters, and in 1680 he was baptized under the name Simon Xavier. In 1681 he started out on a journey to Rome but got only as far as the Portuguese colony of Macao, where he remained for a number of years. This painting was done shortly after his arrival in Macao, and according to his inscription he did the painting Òthinking of the past.Ó Despite Wu Li’s exposure to Western works of art, this painting betrays no Western influence, and in this sense, in both subject matter and style, it is indeed a true tribute to the Chinese past. (From “A Handbook of the Collection: Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art,” 1998)

Discover More

Diana and Actaeon

Nicolaes Elias Pickenoy

Still Life with Strawberries

Abbie Luella Zuill

An Old Fashioned Garden

Maurice Brazil Prendergast

Santa

Rev. Howard Finster

Create an account

Please take a moment to fill your information to create your account.

Reset Password

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Save Artwork

Save the artwork in any of your exhibitions or create a new one.

You have not made any exhibitions.

Create New Exhibition

Create New Exhibition