Plum Branch
As one of the earliest trees to flower, the plum, a popular subject in painting, represents winter. The delicate but tenacious beauty of plum blossoms blanketed in late winter snow was taken by Confucian scholars as a metaphor for facing hardship with dignity and elegance. Yi Yu-won, a recognized painter, poet, and calligrapher as well as a distinguished scholar-official, served as prime minister under Emperor Gojong (reigned 1864–1907). In this work he skillfully juxtaposed the strong, angular strokes of the plum branch with thin, precise offshoots dotted with delicate blossoms. Painting on a gray background evocative of an overcast day, Yi created depth through the inclusion of a smaller branch whose shape echoes that of the main one in a lighter hue.
Artwork Details
- 이유원 매화도 조선
- 李裕元 梅花圖 朝鮮
- Title: Plum Branch
- Artist: Yi Yu-won (Korean, 1814–1888)
- Period: Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
- Date: dated 1888
- Culture: Korea
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: 58 1/16 × 37 3/16 in. (147.5 × 94.5 cm)
Overall with knobs: 8 ft. 7 in. × 48 3/4 in. (261.6 × 123.8 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Seymour and Rogers Funds and Bequest of Dorothy Graham Bennett, 1990
- Object Number: 1990.230
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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