AFTER TANG YIN (1470-1523), 16th century ink and colour on silk, large handscroll depicting Daoist immortals attending the birthday of Xi WangmuNote: Although the painting is signed Tang Yin, the style of the painting is dated to the late 16th century, slightly later than this well-known literati artist. Instead, the auspicious theme, stylised figural depiction and the use of ink suggest the origin of the painting as ‘Suzhou Pian’, a type of commercial painting after the titles famous art masters produced in the late Ming (c. 16th century) for the flourishing art market at the time. In the 16th century, the growing economy leads to the growing wealth of Ming people, especially those living the South of Yangtsu River, which further stimulates the consumption of the arts and causes the flourishing art market. To meet the demand, many paintings were produced after infamous artists including Tang Yin who is known for his literati and figural paintings. Although these paintings are not authentic, some of them are far beyond a bad replica but of a very high quality. The present painting is a good example of the top-quality ‘Suzhou Pian’ painting.Depiction of immortals gathering is a very common theme for these ‘Suzhou Pian’ paintings because it normally infers good blessing of longevity and auspiciousness. In this scroll, immortals of various type, who come from the sea, sky or land, gathered together for celebrating the birthday of the Queen Mother of the West who is guided by the phoenix riding goddess and flanked by a group of her attendants. Although spuriously given to the tile of Tang Yin, the delicate lines and detailed depiction suggest the great skill and attention to detail of the artist or workshop. A comparable example can be found in the National Palace Museum i.e. Gathering of Immortals Offering Blessings attr. Qiu Ying and Lofty Gathering at Gem Pond attr Zhao Boju. Further examples and discussions of ‘Suzhou Pian’ paintings can be found in the catalogue of the National Palace Museum exhibition “Suzhou Fakes” and Their Influence In The 16th to 18th Century’.

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