Discussing Classics under Pine Trees

This depiction of two scholars meeting adopted the classical subject of intellectual activities taking place by a mountain river. In this genre of painting a scholar is shown paying a visit to a respected mentor or a Daoist master. The relaxed posture of both men, their position facing each other, and their lightly painted contours, create a scene that is casual and peaceful. The composition of this work bears affinities to several surviving paintings by known twelfth-century artists. For Tang Yifen, as for many old masters, the elites’ discussion of classics under pine trees seems to have carried the connotation of harmony and balance.

Born to a prominent family in Jiangsu, Tang Yifen was brought up to be a scholar, painter, and martial-arts master. He chose not to serve the local government, but rather to pursue intellectual cultivation. The inscription indicates this painting was created in Tang’s studio before the Double Ninth Festival on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.