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Tao Yuanming's Return Home

1300s

Medium: Handscroll; ink and slight color on silk
Classification: Painting
Dimensions: Image: 34.6 x 566.4 cm (13 5/8 x 223 in.); Overall: 37.7 x 1001.1 cm (14 13/16 x 394 1/8 in.)
Culture: China, Yuan dynasty (1271-1368)
Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art, Chinese Art
Credit line: Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Rights: Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it: Teens profiles and older: its museum says too little about what it shows to place it for younger viewers. How works are placed

About this work

Tao Yuanming's revered poem "Return Home 歸去來辭 (Gui qu lai ci)" powerfully conveys his desire to leave bureaucratic life for the simplicity and authenticity of nature. This sentiment has deeply resonated with generations of Chinese scholars, making it a popular theme in paintings.

This handscroll uses continuous narrative depicting Tao in multiple scenes from the poem. Starting on the right, the poet travels to his home. His children wait by the gate, while his wife pauses to tidy her hair before welcoming him. Then, free from the burdens of official service, Tao spends time in both nature and his cottage, where he can again enjoy wine, music, and books.