Parting by a River Bank

明代文嘉繪港榋濿別圖卷紙本痓綎

As the second son of Wen Zhengming (1470–1559), three of whose paintings are in this gallery, Wen Jia was influenced by the painting movements active in and around the city of Suzhou. He favored painting local scenery and traditional themes, with a focus on brushwork and muted colors. He painted this handscroll as a farewell gift for a friend upon the friend's appointment to a post in Beijing. The work depicts a traditional scene of parting, with the two friends on a riverbank, awaiting the ferry on the opposite shore.