明 阮祖德 抑齋曾叔祖八十五齡壽像 軸|Portrait of the Artist's Great-Granduncle Yizhai at the Age of Eighty-Five

Ruan Zude

dated "xinyou" (1561 or 1621?) · Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk · Asian Art

This portrait was made to celebrate the eighty-fifth birthday of the sitter, who is identified in the inscription as the artist’s great granduncle Yizhai. Portraits of couples were sometimes made on milestone birthdays of the husband; while the couple lived, the paintings allowed the family to celebrate them, and after their deaths the images could be repurposed for ritual veneration. The features of the man in this portrait are beautifully characterized—his high cheekbones, pursed lips, and gentle gaze communicate a sense of kindness and the wisdom of age.

Artist

Ruan Zude

Date

dated "xinyou" (1561 or 1621?)

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Seymour Fund, 1959