Who painted Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Song of the Pipa)?

Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Song of the Pipa) was painted by Wen Boren in 1504.

Where can I see Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Song of the Pipa)?

Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Song of the Pipa) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Song of the Pipa)?

Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Song of the Pipa) is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Song of the Pipa)

Wen Boren , 1504

Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Song of the Pipa) is an unspecified painting by the Renaissance artist Wen Boren. It dates from 1504 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

You see a long scroll of misty riverbanks, willow trees, and tiny figures saying goodbye under a pale sky.

You see a long scroll of misty riverbanks, willow trees, and tiny figures saying goodbye under a pale sky.

The painting illustrates a famous poem about a musician who played for a poet one night. Both had lost their place in the world—one through age, the other through politics. The soft colors and empty spaces make the sadness feel quiet, not loud.

To see more paintings like this, look up china, ming dynasty (1368–1644).

Overview

The hand‑scroll presents a mist‑shrouded river scene in which slender willows line the banks and diminutive figures stand beneath a pallid sky. The composition stretches horizontally, inviting the viewer to follow the quiet flow of water as it recedes into distance, while the overall atmosphere is one of subdued melancholy.

Subject & Meaning

The image visualizes the narrative of Bai Juyi’s poem “The Song of the Pipa,” which recounts a night when the poet met a former court musician forced to wander after her fame faded. Both the poet, recently demoted, and the pipa player share a sense of displacement, and the painting’s somber tone reflects their mutual loss of purpose and lingering sorrow.

Technique & Style

Executed in delicate brushwork characteristic of the Ming period, the scroll employs a limited palette of muted blues, grays, and soft greens. The rendering of mist and distant landscape relies on washes that dissolve outlines, creating an impression of atmospheric depth and quiet stillness that enhances the emotional restraint of the scene.

History & Provenance

The work originates from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and belongs to a tradition of literary painting that pairs visual art with classical poetry. Though the exact patron is unknown, the scroll has been preserved in Chinese collections and is cited in catalogues of Ming-era handscrolls that illustrate the era’s interest in integrating poetic narrative with visual expression.