The Universe in a Gourd, Hanging Scroll
Huang Shen
Qing Dynasty
- MEDIUM:Ink and color on silk
- FORMATS:Hanging scroll
- DIMENSIONS:Height 168 cm; Width 47.5 cm
Introduction
This painting was created by Huang Shen in his middle age, shortly after he arrived in Yangzhou. It illustrates the popular legend of Fei Changfang learning alchemy. According to historical records, Fei once noticed an old man selling elixirs from a hanging gourd. Observing him closely, Fei saw that whenever no one was around, the old man would quietly enter the gourd himself. Recognizing that the man was no ordinary mortal, Fei respectfully approached him. The old man led Fei into the gourd, revealing a magnificent interior with red railings and ornate halls, as if a palace of immortals. Fei spent over ten days learning mystical techniques, and upon his return home, he realized that more than ten years had passed in the outside world. From then on, Fei Changfang could cure illnesses, ward off epidemics, and even revive the dying.
Huang Shen renders the scene with carefully varied line work and expressive figures. Wisps of vapour rise from the gourd, filling the space and lending the scene a magical, otherworldly atmosphere.
