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Hyperallergic’s “The Zen Mona Lisa” is an excerpt from Will Heinrich’s book From Darkness to Darkness, not an announcement of a new exhibition. The chapter follows art critic Jonah as he travels to San Francisco to see Six Persimmons, a 13th-century Chinese ink painting attributed to Muqi Fachang, and reflects on art, family, work and memory.
Hyperallergic has published “The Zen Mona Lisa,” an excerpt from art critic Will Heinrich’s book From Darkness to Darkness, due from Thousand Horsemen Press in summer 2026. The chapter follows a fictionalized critic named Jonah as he travels to San Francisco to see Six Persimmons, a Chinese ink painting attributed to the 13th-century artist Muqi Fachang.
The excerpt’s editor’s note identifies the piece as a chapter titled “Six Persimmons”, reproduced from Heinrich’s book with permission. Thousand Horsemen Press plans to make the book available online and through independent booksellers in summer 2026. The material provided does not give a specific release date.
In the chapter, Jonah is an art critic who chooses to travel to San Francisco to review the painting after his newspaper says it has no travel budget. He uses credit-card points for a flight and stays with a cousin. The trip is framed not only as a work assignment but as a rare period away from his young child and his usual routine.
The work is described as a still life of persimmons, held by a Japanese monastery after it acquired the painting when it was already nearly 300 years old. The chapter says it had mostly been kept rolled up and hidden since the early 1500s. Its visit to San Francisco gives Jonah a reason to see it in person, while prompting recollections about travel, parenthood, and his relationship with art.
A Painting Shapes a Critic’s Journey
The excerpt gives readers a preview of Heinrich’s book through a specific encounter with a celebrated work of Asian art. Its central development is literary: the chapter places a critic’s decision to see Six Persimmons at the center of a wider reflection on how work, family responsibilities and age change the experience of travel.
The painting also carries a history that helps explain the importance of seeing it on loan. According to the chapter, it spent centuries in a Japanese monastery and was rarely displayed. That history makes the San Francisco visit a notable opportunity for Jonah, though the supplied material does not identify the exhibition’s dates or provide further institutional details.
For readers, the piece is both an introduction to the book and a portrait of criticism as lived experience. Jonah’s visit begins as a review assignment, but the narrative follows his thoughts and encounters beyond the gallery. The excerpt therefore presents art criticism not simply as a judgment of an artwork, but as a way of thinking through personal history.
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The Book and Painting Behind the Excerpt
From Darkness to Darkness is credited to Will Heinrich and is scheduled for publication by Thousand Horsemen Press in summer 2026. Hyperallergic’s editor’s note says the chapter was excerpted with permission and identifies the book as available online and through independent booksellers when published.
Six Persimmons is attributed to Muqi Fachang, an artist active in 13th-century China. The chapter describes it as an ink painting that was acquired by a Japanese monastery nearly three centuries after its creation and then largely kept rolled up from the early 1500s onward. Jonah’s planned review concerns its temporary appearance at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum.
The chapter places the trip amid ordinary personal and professional obligations: Jonah has a child, has spent years preparing museum previews, and has little recent experience traveling alone. The excerpt also includes conversations with his cousin and father, linking the planned visit to family relationships as well as to the artwork.
““The following article is a chapter titled ‘Six Persimmons’ that has been excerpted from From Darkness to Darkness by Will Heinrich.””
— Hyperallergic editor’s note
Release and Exhibition Details Await
The supplied report does not state the exact date when From Darkness to Darkness will be released, only that publication is planned for summer 2026. It also does not specify the dates of the painting’s San Francisco exhibition, how long the work was on view, or whether it is currently accessible to visitors.
The excerpt describes Six Persimmons as attributed to Muqi Fachang; it does not present new research establishing the attribution. The source material also cuts off during Jonah’s visit to Chinatown, before giving the chapter’s account of what he sees at the museum or his assessment of the painting. Those details cannot be confirmed from the excerpt provided.
Summer Publication Is the Next Milestone
The next stated milestone is the planned summer 2026 publication of Heinrich’s book by Thousand Horsemen Press. The publisher’s described sales channels are online and independent booksellers. No exact date, additional excerpt schedule, or launch event is identified in the source material.
Readers seeking to see the painting should check the Asian Art Museum’s own exhibition information for current dates and access details; the excerpt alone does not establish whether the San Francisco display is ongoing. The chapter’s full account of Jonah’s visit is also not included in the material supplied here.
Key Questions
What is “The Zen Mona Lisa”?
It is the title used by Hyperallergic for an excerpt from Will Heinrich’s book From Darkness to Darkness. The excerpted chapter is titled “Six Persimmons.”
What is Six Persimmons?
Six Persimmons is a Chinese ink painting attributed to Muqi Fachang, an artist active in the 13th century. The chapter describes it as a still life that was held by a Japanese monastery and mostly kept rolled up from the early 1500s.
When will Heinrich’s book be published?
From Darkness to Darkness is scheduled for summer 2026 through Thousand Horsemen Press. The source does not give a specific publication date.
Is Six Persimmons currently on view in San Francisco?
The excerpt refers to a visit to the Asian Art Museum, but the supplied information does not give exhibition dates or confirm whether the painting is on view now. Check the museum’s current listings for visitor information.
Source: hyperallergic.com
