博
Artist: Unknown
Date: Ming (1368-1644)
Material: Ink and color on paper
Gift of Xu Jinkang
Xu Guangqi (1562-1633), also known by his zi (designated name) Zixian and hao (literary name) Xuanhu, was a native of Shanghai. An important scholar of the late Ming dynasty, he was the Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion. The Xujiahui area is named after him, and his tomb is located in Guangqi Park. In this portrait, Xu Guangqi is wearing the formal court robe with the embroidered crane badge of a first-rank official, and a jade-decorated leather belt, seated on a folding chair covered with a tiger-skin carpet. This painting shows the typical style of official portraiture of the Ming dynasty. The facial features are rendered through layered washes using the ink bone method. This is a masterpiece of lifelike portraiture. This hanging scroll was donated to the Shanghai Museum by a descendant of Xu Guangqi.
