A Gathering of Scholars

ArtistAfter Liu Songnian

Place of OriginChina

Dateabout 1700-1800

Dimensions11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm)

Mediumsilk

ClassificationPaintings

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number

1918.3

Not on View

DescriptionPortrayal of an historical episode. Full color in the style of the Sung Dynasty. Color on silk.

Label TextThe Toledo Museum of Art bought this scroll in 1918 when many Asian works of art flooded the American market and were greatly desired by private collectors and institutions alike. At the time, it was believed to be an 11th-century work by Liu Songnian, though there were come conflicting opinions about who made the scroll and when. Attribution was complicated by the Chinese tradition of copying works and styles by earlier master painters—a practice considered homage, not forgery, in China. As scholars examined this scroll over time, they have all come to the agreement that it was not in fact created in the Song Dynasty (960–1280) by Liu Songnian, but rather by a later Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) artist (or artists) working in the style of the earlier master. The silk has been dyed to look older, and the figures are a combination of many styles.Exhibition HistoryClaremont, CA, Pomona College, exhibition of Chinese paintings, November 1- December 18, 1948.

Toledo. The Toledo Museum of Art, "Musical Instruments through the Ages," February 10-March 30, 1952.

Toledo, Toledo Museum of Art, The Unseen Art of TMA: What's in the Vaults and Why?, September 12, 2004-January 2, 2005. (no catalogue or checklist).