Enjoyment of Chrysanthemums

This painting offers a view into the dwelling of a scholar-recluse within a rustic environment. While several young attendants busy themselves with the preparation of tea, their master sits on a chair in his study, contemplating an array of potted red and white chrysanthemums in the garden compound. Educated Chinese viewers would have associated this painting with the virtues of reclusive living as exemplified by the famous poet Tao Qian (365–427). Tao, who was exceptionally fond of chrysanthemums, refused service at court to live instead as a hermit in the mountains, cultivating his mind and his flowers. Chrysanthemums bloom in the cool weather of autumn and thus symbolize retirement and the nurturing of scholarly pursuits for the Chinese literati.