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The World of Scholars' Rocks: Gardens, Studios, and Paintings
February 1, 2000–August 20, 2000
Douglas Dillon Galleries, 2nd floor
Rocks have long been admired in China as an essential feature in gardens. By the early Song dynasty (960–1279), small ornamental rocks were also collected as accoutrements of the scholar's study, and the portrayal of rocks, often joined by an old tree or bamboo, became a favorite and enduring pictorial genre. Particularly admired are stones that have been sculpted by natural processes of erosion—or that appear natural even if they have been artfully enhanced by man—as embodiments of the transformational powers of nature. This exhibition features more than 30 scholars' rocks from the noted collection of the Richard Rosenblum family, ranging in size from desktop pieces to freestanding works of several feet in height. They are accompanied by about 90 paintings dating from the 11th to 20th century, drawn primarily from the Museum's collection.
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