The Studio of Prolonged Soughing

You Yin

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Leaning on a staff for support, a gentleman approaches the gate of a garden retreat. In a small tile-roofed structure at the center of the retreat sits the host, who awaits his guests. This depiction of a garden retreat was painted by You Yin, a scholar-painter who mixed in elite circles in Beijing during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. According to You’s inscription, the scene depicts a villa in the Southern City section of Beijing that was home to most scholars who traveled from around the empire to serve at court. The recipient is identified only by his nickname, Old Man Yue, and his identity remains a mystery.

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