Eight Immortals Indulged in Wine, early 19th century
Watanabe Nangakuexpand_more
Ink and colors on silkexpand_more
The John R. Van Derlip Fund; purchase from the collection of Elizabeth and Willard Clarkexpand_more 2013.31.87
On View in Gallery 237expand_more
The Eight Immortals Indulged in Wine (Chin. yinzhong baxian; Jap. inchū hassen) portrays a group of Tang dynasty scholars known for their love of alcoholic beverages. They are not deified and here the term “immortal” is used as a metaphor. The poets Du Fu (712–770) and Li Bai (Li Po, 701–762) belonged to the group, and therefore named some of their works after the Eight Immortals. A reference can be found in a poem by Du Fu and in the biography of Li Bai in the New Book of Tang (Xin Tang-shu), a classic work of history about the Tang dynasty edited by official scholars of the Song dynasty in 1060. The Eight Immortals are legendary Daoist beings, said to have attained immortality through their studies of nature’s secrets, and thus gained, through their wisdom and virtue, supernatural powers such as being invisible. This painting shows the scholars dressed in the Chinese style of the Tang period, with long sleeves and typical scholar hat. Characteristic of a scholar gathering, they are enjoying wine together as well as painting, calligraphy, and poetry.
Details
- Title
- Eight Immortals Indulged in Wine
- Artist Life
- 1767 - 1831
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2013.31.87
- Curator Approved
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