清 佚名 夫婦像 軸|Portrait of husband and wife
Unidentified artist
late 18th–early 19th century · Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk · Asian Art
A married couple sits on a low, backless couch in an elegant and opulent garden setting. Around them is a virtual anthology of auspicious images: the arching pine that frames the image evokes long life; the red-crowned crane longevity and marital fidelity; the bamboo hardiness; the plum blossom new life; and so on. This double portrait was probably commissioned for a special occasion such as a milestone birthday. After the death of the sitters, descendants may have venerated it in the family shrine.
- Artist
- Unidentified artist
- Date
- late 18th–early 19th century
- Medium
- Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Culture
- China
- Department
- Asian Art
- Credit line
- Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2015
