KANSAS CITY, MO.- Art lovers have a rare and limited opportunity to view a scroll considered a seminal work in the history of Chinese painting, Illustration to the Second Prose Poem on the Red cliff Red Cliff. After August 1, the scroll will be taken off view and not available for public viewing for at least five years to protect it from deterioration caused by exposure to even low light levels. “This remarkable work is almost a thousand years old, and we feel a deep responsibility to preserve it for another millennium,” said Colin Mackenzie, senior curator of Chinese art at the Nelson-Atkins. More than 18 feet long, the hand scroll was painted sometime in the late 11th or early 12th century by a little known artist, Qiao Zhongchang, to illustrate a poem by the famous poet, calligrapher, and painter Su Shi (1037–1101). The poem recounts Su’s visit to the site of a decisive battle in 208/9. This battle