Heaven and Earth Glow Red

Fu Baoshi Chinese
dated 1964
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This painting illustrates a poem Mao Zedong composed for Guo Moruo that alludes to the Sino-Soviet conflict. Mao’s poem ends with the lines:

The four oceans boil and clouds fume with rain.
We wash away insects
And are strong.
The five continents shake in the wind of lighting.

—Trans. Anita Chung

In Fu’s interpretation, the brilliant red globe of the earth—one can make out China on the surface—floats above an ancient pine and an expansive ocean.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Heaven and Earth Glow Red
  • Artist: Fu Baoshi (Chinese, 1904–1965)
  • Date: dated 1964
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Horizontal scroll; ink and color on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 27 15/16 x 38 1/8 in. (70.9 x 96.9 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Lent by Nanjing Museum
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art