Landscape

Chen Hongshou

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two gentlemen sit in a waterside pavilion. One has a stack of books by his side; the other holds a fan as they converse. Attendants come and go with wine or tea and a zither (qin), the musical instrument considered most appropriate for use by scholar-amateurs. Although the landscape beyond shows a broad river bounded by distant hills, the scene strongly evokes the atmosphere of a garden, in which strategically placed pavilions served as stage sets for elegant gatherings.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art