Ike no Taiga, The Poet Su Shi and Meng Jia loses his hat, ca.1760-61, Pair of six-panel folding screens, ink and light color on paper, Image (each): 61 3/16 in. × 11 ft. 9 9/16 in.

The picture on top is the celebrated poet Su Shi from Song Dynasty (1036–1101), who, upon getting caught in a sudden rainstorm, borrowed a simple hat and clogs from a nearby farmer and continued on his way. It was inspired by Su Shi’s verse: the melody of a pacified rain, It was a time when Su Shi was reduced of his political power and sent into ruling barbarous area. He passed through this storm light-heartedly, knowing his life situation is not a big deal and he could still find ways to overcome it. The picture below is the scholar official Meng Jia, who failed to notice when his cap was blown off by a gust of wind at a formal gathering one day. When a colleague criticized his appearance, Meng replied with a beautifully phrased poem composed on the spot. This incident showed that meng jia was a confident, clever, and flexible gentleman, and would not lose it on petty things.