Present occasion and history

Scrolls - communities across time

There follows a collation of old title-slips that were once part of earlier mountings. Written by important connoisseurs these inform us that the hands of the famous once held this in theirs. We then see the painting itself, on silk yellowed with age.

Commentaries and seals follow the painting, stretching over hundreds of years. As with the title-slips, some of these are by famous savants and were likely sought for the credibility they might add – such as that of the Ming painter and calligrapher DONG Qichang 董其昌 (1555-1636). Others are by collectors and their friends. In content, the inscriptions praise the painting and comment on the effect it has had on each viewer. In form, the brushwork is of high quality and done in ‘respectful’ styles that coincide with the importance ascribed to the painting. This adds interest to the work as a whole, creating the effect of a sustained performance, like the building of an architectural complex over several generations.

The scroll in its present form concludes with a long stretch of blank paper for future participants. This procession will conclude only when the object enters the sepulcher of the museum.

		Wen Zhengming 文徵明 (1470-1559) Mount Guan Snowscape (dated 1532) (details) Handscroll, ink and colour on silk 21 x 418 cm Private collectionn

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