Myriad Bamboo in Mist and Rain

Fu Baoshi Chinese
dated 1944
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
In this evocative landscape of brimming streams and dense bamboo, the animated texturing of the distant mountains captures the impression of coarse-surfaced rocks seen through rain. Fu made liberal use of varied ink washes and energetic brushstrokes to describe dagger-like bamboo leaves blowing in the shifting light and the agitated atmosphere of a summer storm.

Tucked to the side of this turbulent scene, three scholars have found shelter in a rustic cottage. The tall black hat worn by the leftmost figure identifies him as Su Shi (1036–1101), a native of Sichuan beloved for his poetry, art, and devotion to civil service. One of Su’s close friends was Wen Tong (1019–1079), a renowned bamboo painter, whose presence is implied by the encircling bamboo forest.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Myriad Bamboo in Mist and Rain
  • Artist: Fu Baoshi (Chinese, 1904–1965)
  • Date: dated 1944
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 41 5/16 x 23 9/16 in. (105 x 59.8 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Lent by a private collection, New York
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art