Fengning West Garden Anthology Fan Page

[Fengning West Garden Anthology Fan Page]

West Garden Anthology Fan Page, Qing Dynasty, Feng Ning’s painting, paper version, color setting, 19 cm vertical, 57.1 cm horizontal
The fan page has its own title: “I painted by Feng Ninggong.” The seal of “I” is Zhu Wenyin and “Ning” is Bai Wenyin
Through the natural landscape of plantain, bamboo and stone gardens, this picture ingeniously divides the picture into six scenes to show the activities of literati gathering. Some are writing and painting with brushwork, some are inscribed with ink, some are playing music with Ruan, and some are meeting with eminent monks. Each scene is independent in form and highly unified in content, highlighting the theme of “Elegant Collection”. The most famous collection in history is the “Lanting Collection” by Wang Xizhi and others in the Jin Dynasty. The writers hope to recite poems and paintings or discuss learning with like-minded friends. Emperor Qianlong, as the emperor of the state, also yearns for such cultural activities, so he ordered Feng Ning to draw this picture fan to show his mind. There are many characters in the picture with different postures. The author uses a realistic approach to show the figure’s shape and appearance vividly, showing Feng Ning’s skill in figure painting beyond flower painting