Poem on Lingyan Temple in running script

Maker(s)
Artist: Hongli, the Qianlong emperor 乾隆帝 (1711-1799)
Historical period(s)
Qing dynasty, ca. 1765
Medium
Hanging scroll mounted on panel; ink on peach silk with gold flecks and hand-painted floral designs
Dimensions
H x W (image): 185.4 x 92.2 cm (73 x 36 5/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. John Alexander Pope
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1990.5
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Calligraphy
Type

Hanging scroll (mounted on panel)

Keywords
Buddhism, China, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), running script
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

Emperor Qianlong, who reigned from 1735 to 1796, enjoyed literature and travel. He often composed poems and ordered them carved into stones to commemorate his journeys. The emperor stopped at Lingyan Temple, situated at the base of Mount Fang in Shandong province, at least eight times on various inspection tours. On his first visit in 1757 Emperor Qianlong wrote the poem “Lingyan Temple,” and on each of his successive visits he composed a similar poem using the same rhymes. This scroll contains the third of those poems, written in mid-February 1765 in a smooth, soft running script. The poem was also inscribed on the stone wall located on the east side of the Lingyan Temple’s main gate.

Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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