Collection
The Four Seasons
| The Four Seasons |
| Set of four hanging scrolls, color on silk China, Ming dynasty, 16th century Gift of Ii Family |
The four-part work pairs each season with a historical anecdote. “Spring” depicts Xie An retired to the countryside where he enjoyed the outdoors with female entertainers; “summer” refers to Zhou Dunyi’s love of the lotus; “autumn” refers to Tao Yuanming’s homecoming following retirement from public office; “winter” depicts Wang Huizhi turning back at the door of a friend he had intended to visit. The scrolls were received as a gift from the Tokugawa shogun.
