Leisure Life of Hermits， a Tang Dynasty（618.907） fragmented hand scroll by Sun Wei， ink and color on silk， 45.2cm×168.7cm， in the collection of Shanghai Museum.
Sun Wei， a famous painter， was proficient at drawing characters， pine trees and rocks， ink bamboos， Buddhist stories and particularly at landscapes. With strong and unrestrained strokes， he marked the beginning of a new painting style in the Five Dynasties（907.960）。
Known as Seven Sages， this scroll is confirmed as a part of Seven Hermits in Bamboo Groves. People from right to left in the painting are Shan Tao， Wang Rong， Liu Ling， Ruan Ji and other parts are lost. The four persons are different in countenance， posture and expression. Shan Tao shows arrogance， while Liu Ling indulges in wine and has slight drunkenness. Each one has a servant boy around. The painting exactly depicts the elegant and natural environment， characters’ purity， pride and unconventionality.
As the only extant works of Sun Wei， it is a masterpiece among existing paintings and a national treasure.
