Gu Jianlong, a professional artist, used exacting techniques and bright colors considerably different from the muted tones and soft brushwork of the literati masters. The respected early Qing orthodox painter and literatus Wang Shimin is portrayed here, surrounded by the hardwood furniture and scholarly accoutrements of his station. On his desk are books, a white seal, brush, inkstone, bamboo brush pot, red lacquer paste box, a large bronze censer with matching stand and an ancient gu vessel holding flowers. Blue taihu rocks, blooming lotus, pine and bamboo are visible in his garden.