The Gathering at Orchid Pavilion

This meticulously painted handscroll begins from the right with a riverbank scene of several gentlemen walking along the zigzagging pass. Their destination and purpose is clarified by the gathering depicted farther left, where powerful cedars and sweeping pines grow along a stream. The scene depicted here is the famous story of Wang Xizhi (321–379), the great calligrapher who in 344 gathered his friends at Lanting, or Orchid Pavilion, at the present-day Shaoxing in Zhejiang province. The baimiao, or fine-line, style of painting seen here was a specialty of the Suzhou artist You Qiu. Like those of his teacher Qiu Ying (c. 1494–1552), You’s works embody the ideals of balance, emotional reserve, and high technical proficiency.