Tuning the Qin and Sipping Tea

“Tuning the Qin and Sipping Tea," a renowned work by the Tang Dynasty painter Zhou Fang, is a silk scroll painting measuring 75x28 cm, currently housed in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in the United States.

The painting depicts three noblewomen seated in a courtyard, attended by two maidservants, engaging in the refined activities of playing the qin (a traditional Chinese string instrument), savoring tea, and enjoying music. This scene captures the leisurely and tranquil lifestyle of aristocratic women. The artwork features osmanthus and phoenix trees, symbolizing the arrival of autumn. The noblewomen seem to anticipate the inevitable withering that follows the blooming season. The silk shawls slipping off the shoulders of the women tuning the qin and sipping tea reveal their languid and melancholic state, evoking a sense of drowsy ennui.

The composition of the scroll is loosely structured, mirroring the mental state of the figures. Although the arrangement of the characters is not as compact as in the works of Zhang Xuan, the artist skillfully directs the viewer's focus to the qin player seated at the corner through the gaze of the other figures, creating a composition that appears relaxed on the outside yet tightly focused within. The blank spaces at the beginning and end of the scroll are notably cramped, suggesting that portions may have been trimmed by later generations.

The lines depicting the figures are primarily executed in the "floating silk" style, with occasional use of the "iron wire" technique, adding a subtle rigidity and angularity to the otherwise smooth and flowing lines. The coloring is subdued and even, with the clothing devoid of any intricate patterns, imparting a sense of simplicity and elegance. The figures maintain the plump and full-bodied characteristics typical of the era, with soft and graceful postures. The depiction of the women's hands, in particular, is exquisitely delicate and lifelike.

唐代周昉调琴啜茗图高清复制

调琴啜茗图，唐代著名画家周昉所作，绢本设色75x28cm美国纳尔逊艺术博物馆藏

画中三位坐在庭院里的贵妇在两个女仆的伺候下弹琴、品茶、听乐，表现了贵族妇女闲散恬静的享乐生活。图中绘有桂花树和梧桐树，寓意秋日已至。贵妇们似乎已预感到花季过后面临的将是凋零。调琴和啜茗的妇人肩上的披纱滑落下来，显示出她们慵懒寂寞和睡意惺忪的颓唐之态。

全卷构图松散，与人物的精神状态合拍。人物组合虽不及张萱之作紧凑，但作者通过人物目光的视点巧妙地集中在坐于边角的调琴者身上，使全幅构图呈外松内紧之状。卷首与卷尾的空白十分局促，疑是被后人裁去少许。

画中的人物线条以游丝描为主，并渗入了一些铁线描，在回转流畅的游丝描里平添了几分刚挺和方硬之迹，设色偏于匀淡，衣着全无纹饰，当有素雅之感。人物造型继续保持了丰肥体厚的时代特色，姿态轻柔，特别是女性的手指刻画得十分柔美、生动。