Nymph of the Luo River, 1591, Wang Shanggong, active 16th century, 12 × 48 1/4 in. (30.5 × 122.6 cm) (image, left, calligraphy)12 × 144 in. (30.5 × 365.8 cm) (image, right, painting), Ink on paper, China, 16th century, The classical narrative poem 'Nymph of the Luo River,' written by Cao Zhi (192-232 CE), is the subject of this elegantly brushed handscroll. The story recounts an unsuccessful love affair between a poet and a river goddess. The verse, one of the standards of Chinese literature, became a favorite subject of painters. Attached to the painted portion of this scroll is a transcription of the 'Nymph of the Luo River' by the late-Ming calligrapher Gu Mengyu, dated 1654.