Daoist Immortals Gathering in the Autumn Mountains

This painting depicts four gentlemen gathering in the autumn mountains, with cranes wandering before the pine grove or flying in the air. It is reminiscent of a similar painting subject—The Four Elderly Sages on Mt. Shang (Shangshan sihao, four virtuous sages of the early Han dynasty), which depicts four esteemed hermits who declined to serve at the court. Here, two young figures are included in the group and their youthful look suggests that they are Daoist immortals possessing the secret to eternal youth. The inscription transcribes a poem by the Ming dynasty poet Li Ben praising divine cranes and old pines—two symbolic motifs traditionally associated with longevity and immortality. These figures might wait to travel with the cranes, which were believed to be immortals’ rides between heaven and the human world.