Picking Wild Peas

Handscroll; Ink and color on silk; 672cm(width)*22cm(height) This piece was drawn according to the story recorded in the Historical Records, Collected Biographies of Bo Yi, which told of how Bo Yi and Shu Qi did not want to eat anything grown from the soil of the Zhou Dynasty. The picture shows the pair sitting face to face atop Shouyang Mountain. Bo Yi sits with his arms wrapped around his knees, his eyes bright, looking resolute and calm. Shu Qi leans forward, expressing a willingness to follow. The men’s faces are thin, and they are physically weak. Having lived in the wild, hungry and with nothing but wild vegetables to eat, they have endured great physical suffering. Even so, their spirits are intact.