The works of Leng Mei, a native of Shantung, date between 1703 and 1718. A student of Chiao Ping-chen, he excelled at painting figures, especially ladies. In the garden setting shown here, peach and plum blossoms appear in full bloom and vie in a brilliant display of red and white. Scholars sit around a table with attendants off to the side. The coloring is opulent and the brushwork fine. The buildings that decorate the scene are carefully rendered in imitation of ruled-line painting. However, the artist was unable to avoid conveying a stiff and belabored style.
Leng Mei, a native of Shantung, was a famous court painter. His works represent the fine and opulent court style influenced by the West. The composition here takes from the theme of Li Po’s (701-763) “Preface to Night Banquet Under Peach and Plum Blossoms”. It shows a garden with numerous blossoms as lamps provide light on a misty evening. A bright moon hangs high in the sky as scholars sit around a stone table drinking wine and writing with attendants and ladies. The effect here is that of a joyous and beautiful scene in the soft lamp light. The painting style is meticulous and controlled, reflecting the fine decorative style of Ch’ing court painting in the 18th century that was influenced by Western shading and perspective.