The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of March 16, 2026
Absorb the Past; Abandon the Present
1800s–1900s
style of Qian Hui'an
44 x 35 cm (17 5/16 x 13 3/4 in.); Each painting: 33 x 33 cm (13 x 13 in.)
Location: Not on view
Did You Know?
Leaf four depicts Tao Yuanming, carried by servants in a basket as he had an ailing foot. Tao wrote the Peach Blossom Spring tale, in which a fisherman loses his way and ends up in a utopia.Description
Qian Huian, active in Shanghai, was best known for his paintings of beautiful women, and historic and mythological figures, rendered in a distinct style. His figures appear eccentric and the color palette pale to pink. The album’s title, Absorb the Past, Abandon the Present, reflect the desire to find refuge in China’s Past, as the country was going through the devastating Taiping rebellion at the time the paintings were created.- Private Collection, London, England, sold to Hanshan Tang?–2023(Hanshan Tang, London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)2023–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- {{cite web|title=Absorb the Past; Abandon the Present|url=false|author=Qian Hui'an|year=1800s–1900s|access-date=16 March 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2023.163