This
painting, called Stalks of Bamboo by a Rock, was created in the Yuan Dynasty by
Wu Zhen (吳鎮) in 1347. This painting is ink on paper presented as a
hanging scroll 2’ 11.5” x 4.375”. This
type of landscape painting reached maturity during the Yuan dynasty because
many painters such as Wu Zhen, who studied in the Dong Yuan school of painting,
fled to the provinces to avoid service under the Mongols and discovered beautiful
landscape as a part of their everyday living.
Wu Zhen
works followed the trends of the time focusing less on painting exactly what
the eye sees (naturalism) and more the balance of elements in a landscape. Bamboo represented strength and the ability
to bend and adapt to your surroundings.
This is balanced with the rock symbolizing to live on strong foundations
that can last. Finally this is all balanced
with the mist symbolizing spirit and fluidity.
Another
important aspect of this painting are the red stamps on it. These stamps are called Colophons and are put
there by their owners. These Colophons
are identifying marks put there not only to show the ownership line for the
painting but was also regarded as a praise to the artist. Sometimes the creation of a colophon was even
made into an event and celebrated. The importance
of the colophons was to humbly be able to show the heritage of the current
owner.
Sources:
Chinese art under the Mongols: the Yüan dynasty,
1279-1368 Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1968 By Lee, Sherman E. and Ho, Wai-kam
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