The Pastimes of Palace Ladies
Artist
Gu Jianlong
(Chinese, 1606 - ca. 1687)
Date17th century
MediumHandscroll; ink, color, and gold on paper
DimensionsImage: 11 × 43 inches (27.94 × 109.22 cm)
Overall (height): 13 1/8 inches (33.34 cm)
Overall (height): 13 1/8 inches (33.34 cm)
Credit LineGift of Sir Harold Acton
Object number81-48/3
On View
Not on viewCollections
Gallery LabelGu Jianlong pictured palace women participating in literary pastimes, a painting theme popular in China. The women in the room wear similar costumes. Their postures and accessories distinguish them as consorts, musicians, and servants.
Palace women not only embodied popular ideals of beauty but were also educated—they played music, read classic books, and appreciated antiques. For a viewer in the 1600s the painting provided a rare glimpse of the women’s space, the inner quarter of the palace that was forbidden yet spectacular.
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