Portrait of Ge Qiansun (Ko Ch’ien-sun), Physician
Xie Bin
Description
Xie Bin excelled in portraits and was renowned for his ability to capture a likeness with only a few brushstrokes. He was a student of Zeng Jing (1564–1657), who created the portrait of Pan Qintai also exhibited in this gallery. The protagonist of this painting, Ge Qiansun, was a Yuandynasty (1271–1368) physician from Changzhou. Ge’s father and grandfather were both well known doctors. The inscription accompanying the portrait is taken from a Ming dynasty (1644-1912) source that describes Ge Qiansun as tall and strong; this is how he is presented here. It also says that Ge was originally absorbed in the practice of martial arts and later became interested in yin-yang philosophy, astrology, and physiognomy; he could not pass the civil service examination, so his father taught him medicine. The rest of the paragraph recounts anecdotes about Ge Qiansun curing strange diseases.
Spring/Summer Gallery Rotation 2015
Subject Matter:
Portrait of Ge Qiansun, a phsician in the Yuan dynasty. The text describes Ge's physical appearance and tells of how he was originally a practitioner of martial arts and later became interested in philosophy, astrology, and physiognomy. The rest of the text describes Ge curing strang diseases.
Physical Description:
Album leaf in black ink. Left page contains script. Right page depicts a man with a beard and mustache dressed in long robes with his hands pressed together. On his head is a black wrap. A line of writing is also located in the upper right side of the portrait.
Usage Rights:
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