Scholar Playing a Qin

1800s

Scholar Playing a Qin, 1800s. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Album leaf; ink and color on silk; painting only: 23.5 x 23.8 cm (9 1/4 x 9 3/8 in.); overall: 26.5 x 26.5 cm (10 7/16 x 10 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1990.69 The painting invites viewers to an intimate qin, or zither, recital in the cool breezy night under the moon. The musician at the center gently strums the strings, while his servant boy is drowsing, without realizing the tea pot is steaming. In older times, playing a musical instrument was considered an effective way to cultivate one's spiritual and mental balance. The Korean zither with six strings, depicted in this painting, was often played by men.