# Absorb the Past; Abandon the Present

- By: Qian Hui'an (Chinese, 1833–1911)
- Date: 1800s–1900s
- Medium: Accordion-style album of 10 painted leaves; ink and color on silk
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: 44 x 35 cm (17 5/16 x 13 3/4 in.); Each painting: 33 x 33 cm (13 x 13 in.)
- Culture: China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Credit line: Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
- Museum: [Cleveland Museum of Art](https://clevelandart.org/art/2023.163)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/cma/2023.163/2023.163_web.jpg
- Who can see it: Teens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Qian Huian, active in Shanghai, was best known for his paintings of beautiful women, and historic and mythological figures, rendered in a distinct style. His figures appear eccentric and the color palette pale to pink. The album’s title, Absorb the Past, Abandon the Present, reflect the desire to find refuge in China’s Past, as the country was going through the devastating Taiping rebellion at the time the paintings were created.