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西廂記繪卷·衣錦還鄉 (仇英畫; 王寵書)
This scroll shows two renowned artists—the painter Qiu Ying and the calligrapher Wang Chong—responding to one of the most popular dramatic works in Chinese literature: Story of the Western Chamber. Visual representations of its scenes and subplots were very popular in the Ming dynasty, especially on porcelains. Here Qiu Ying, in a painting, illustrates a scene from the final act—Returning Home with Glory.
The love story features a young scholar, Zhang Heng, and a young woman, Cui Yingying, who overcome successive obstacles before being able to marry. Qiu Ying and Wang Chong reveal the ultimate happy ending to the couple’s quest for true love. The young scholar had traveled to the capital and earned an excellent grade in the civil examination. However, the lady’s family had believed he was pursuing another woman from a family of higher status. When he finally arrives back home, wearing the glory of his scholarly achievement, he professes to Yingying that his heart is unchanged. The tale concludes with their joyful reunion.
Illustration from "Story of the Western Chamber"
西廂記繪卷·衣錦還鄉 (仇英畫; 王寵書)
Chinese
Ming dynasty
1526
Object Place: China
Medium/Technique
Ink and color on silk
Dimensions
Height x length (scroll overall): 25 × 894.3 cm (9 13/16 × 352 1/16 in.)
Height x width (painting only): 22.5 × 22 cm (8 7/8 × 8 11/16 in.)
Height x width (painting only): 22.5 × 22 cm (8 7/8 × 8 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Wan-go H. C. Weng Collection and the Weng family, in honor of Weng Tonghe
Accession Number2018.2774
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAsia
ClassificationsPaintings
This scroll shows two renowned artists—the painter Qiu Ying and the calligrapher Wang Chong—responding to one of the most popular dramatic works in Chinese literature: Story of the Western Chamber. Visual representations of its scenes and subplots were very popular in the Ming dynasty, especially on porcelains. Here Qiu Ying, in a painting, illustrates a scene from the final act—Returning Home with Glory.
The love story features a young scholar, Zhang Heng, and a young woman, Cui Yingying, who overcome successive obstacles before being able to marry. Qiu Ying and Wang Chong reveal the ultimate happy ending to the couple’s quest for true love. The young scholar had traveled to the capital and earned an excellent grade in the civil examination. However, the lady’s family had believed he was pursuing another woman from a family of higher status. When he finally arrives back home, wearing the glory of his scholarly achievement, he professes to Yingying that his heart is unchanged. The tale concludes with their joyful reunion.
Provenance19th century, Weng Tonghe (b. 1830 - d. 1904), Beijing and Changshu, China; 1904, by inheritance from Weng Tonghe to his great-grandson, Weng Zhilian (d. 1919), Changshu and Tianjin; 1919, by inheritance from Weng Zhilian to his son, Wan-go H.C. Weng, Tianjin, New York, and New Hampshire; 2002, transferred to the Hsing Ching Weng Trust, New Hampshire; 2018, gift of the Hsing Ching Weng Trust to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 12, 2018)