At the Palace Museum exhibition, a total of 76 paintings include portraits of the most famous hermit-scholars in China’s history. It is the second in a series of four ancient portrait exhibitions by the Palace Museum. Unlike this group of hermits, the other three exhibitions feature figures who either actively sought to make their name in the world, or tried to enjoy life.
While paintings of religious figures were similarly used In the West to educate people, there is no such genre of art that focuses on hermit-scholars known for their integrity, talent and sometimes peculiar lifestyle.