A Summer Idyll

A Summer Idyll

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This work and another in the Xinxiang County Museum, Henan Province, are the only known calligraphic hanging scrolls associated with Zhao Mengfu. In both works,the large cursive script, written in a bold dry-brush, "flying-white" technique, and the loose structure of individual characters suggest a Ming-dynasty date. The poem, which is recorded in Zhao's collected works, is the first in a series of three entitled "Three Quatrains on Some Immediate Events." It describes the leisurely life of the artist in early summer: Through the loosely woven bamboo curtain from Xiang, I see a sparse wavy pattern. In my newly tailored white sackcloth gown, gentle heat rises. The shadow of the sun over the courtyard grows longer, and visitors stay away. About the pond the grass is fragrant, and swallows fly in pairs. (trans. Wen Fong)

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.