Eight Landscapes by Lu Han

Almost nothing is known of Lu Han, the painter of this album, but the style of the landscapes indicates he studied the work of his contemporary Wang Hui (1632–1717). The album is notable for the layers of significance encoded in the images: not only is each leaf in the style of a different well-known painter, but many of them also depict historical events, such as the fourth-century Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion, or famous works of literature, such as the “Ode to the Pavilion of the Inebriated Old Man” by Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072).