Artist: Yuan Jiang

Date: Qing (1644-1911), dated 1696

Dimensions: Height 216.7 cm, Width 42.4 cm

Material: Ink and colour on silk

• Object Type：
  • PAINTINGS
• Location：
  • Chinese Painting Gallery
• Tag：
  • arcadia peach blossom spring multi-paneled screen yuan jiang qing 1696 ink and colour silk

The theme "Peach Blossom Spring" in painting originates from the literary work Peach Blossom Spring by Tao Yuanming (ca. 365-427) in the Eastern Jin dynasty. It tells the story of a fisherman during the Taiyuan era (376-396) who discovered a hidden arcadia while wandering through a peach forest. Yuan Jiang's depiction closely follows the narrative of the story. The fisherman's boat appears in the second panel, while the entrance to the cave leading to the Arcadia in the Peach Blossom Spring is depicted in the third panel. The scene of the fisherman conversing with the inhabitants of the arcadia is shown in the fourth panel, with an oar lying on the ground hinting at his identity. This work was completed in the 11^th month of the Bingzi year (1696) during the Kangxi reign, and it reflects the artistic influence of the Southern Song painter Ma Yuan.