Inviting the Moon with a Wine Cup

In another example employing the bamboo-and-rock motif, Chen Xiang presents two clusters of bamboo, using brushstrokes resembling calligraphy to enhance the poetic atmosphere of the scene taking place under the moon. A potbellied man holds a cup in one hand, lifting it towards the moon. He leans drunkenly against the rocks at the center of the fan. In his high hat and long robe, his image appears often in figure paintings such as this one, and is traditionally identified as the renowned poet Li Bai (701–762). It was recorded that drunkenness heightened his creativity. His well-known verse, “raising my cup to invite the moon, with my shadow we make three,” were likely Chen’s inspiration for this composition.