Landscapes with Poems

Gong Xian

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In this album of painting and poetry, made one year before his death, Gong Xian exhibits a luminous self-confidence and contentment. The hermit's favorite haunts in and around Nanjing are compared to the abodes of the immortals. As an art teacher and the author of several manuals on painting, Gong perfected an ink-wash and dotting technique that enabled him to achieve both incredible density and translucency. In these remarkable works, Gong attains new heights in painting simultaneously with words and images.

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