Visiting Friends with a Qin

This painting depicts a scholar on his way to visiting a friend and accompanied by his servant carrying a zither-like qin. A poem of the same title by Gao Qi (1336-1374), which was originally inscribed on a painting, seems to be illustrated here:Solitary rider, solitary qinHe breathes mist to enter gully shade.That he should seek so far, Sir, marvel not:In the city there are few who know his musicThe poem refers to the association of the qin with the recluse scholar and a traditional belief that only the refined mind of a sage can truly appreciate its music.This image is rendered in the loose, free style of finger (and fingernail) painting, a technique that flourished in China in the early 18th century. Zhu Lunhan, a descendant of the Ming imperial family, learned finger painting from his uncle, the artist Gao Qipei (1672-1734). For this method, the artist grew a fingernail until it curved sufficiently to be used as a reservoir for ink. Zhu also served as a painter at the court of the emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736-95). The conservation and re-mounting of this scroll was funded by a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, an independent Federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities. Additional support was provided by Joseph Biancalana.