Sensuous Plum Blossoms: Jin Liying (1772-1807) and the Paintings of “Luofu Dream”

This paper examines the “Luofu Dream,” often referred to as the “Fragrant Shadows at Luofu” (luofu xiangying) subgenre in female figure paintings, focusing on the works of high-Qing female painter Jin Liying (1772–1807). The Tang-dynasty novel, Record of the Dragon City (Longcheng lu), which portrays Zhao Shixiong resting drunkenly beneath the plum blossoms, is widely regarded as the inspiration for the “Luofu Dream,” linked to the sacred Daoist mountain Luofu in the peripheral southern Lingnan region of China. Upon falling asleep, Zhao encounters a woman at the base of Luofu Mountain. Similar to many renowned mountains, Luofu is predominantly represented in landscape paintings, featuring the mountain as a reclusive retreat linked to Ge Hong (283–343) and illustrations that enhance its status as a notable picturesque location. This study specifically focuses on female figure paintings associated with Luofu, highlighting the emergence of Luofu dream paintings during the Qing era, along with their transmission, interpretation, and adaptation in cross-border contexts within East Asian art. It reexamines how the “Luofu Dream” attained prominence as a notable subgenre using literary, historical, and visual accounts to elucidate its importance in Chinese art. I contend that plum blossoms, as symbols of Mount Luofu depicted in the “Luofu Dream,” serve not merely as a backdrop but also as evocative elements that engage the senses and illuminate gendered aspects of painting practices.