The twin genii He (harmony) and He (side by side) are figures of popular faith symbolizing harmony and concord. It is said that they derive from the historic figures of Hanshan, a hermit in the Tiantai Mountains and a famous poet, and Shide, a foundling and kitchen helper at the Guoqing Monastery near the capital of the province. Both lived in the seventh century and were close friends whereby the kitchen helper often supported the destitute poet with food.
Gu Jianlong, style name Yuncheng or Yunchen, was a portrait and figure painter from Taicang in Jiangsu province. He lived on Tiger Hill in Suzhou. In the early Kangxi period (1662–1722), he served as a court painter and became famous in the capital. This painting of the two twin genii however is done in the style of the late nineteenth century.