The Hall of Precious Paintings

The wealthy poet, painter, and collector, Wang Shen (ca. 1048-1103), was married to a younger sister of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song dynasty (reigned 1068–85). To house his collection of ancient paintings and works of calligraphy, Wang built the Hall of Precious Paintings in 1077 on the grounds of his opulent private estate near the Northern Song capital, Bianliang (modern Kaifeng, Henan Province), and asked his friend, the famous poet Su Shi (1037-1101), with whom he shared a passion for collecting, to commemorate the hall in an essay. An excerpt from Su's text is inscribed on the painting at upper left. The central figure seated at the desk represents Su Shi, while Wang Shen is the figure looking on from the left.

This painting is a seventeenth-century copy of a composition attributed to Qiu Ying, whose spurious signature appears at lower right. The inscription at upper left was ostensibly written by his famous contemporary, the calligrapher Zhu Yunming (1461-1527), but the style of writing bears little resemblance to Zhu's known works. This scroll is one of a pair with F1909.156