Three Friends

1894

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 214

Three squirrels frolic among densely intertwined branches of pine, flowering plum, and bamboo. Together, pine, bamboo, and plum are known as the “Three Friends of Winter,” symbolizing noble character for their ability to thrive in harsh conditions. A squirrel perches on each plant, presenting echoing counterparts. The artist, Xugu, used dry brushstrokes over light washes to articulate the standing bristles of the squirrels’ fur. Their defined eyelashes, bulging eyes, and narrow pupils convey alertness in a bustling environment. Sojourning in the highly commercialized city of Shanghai, Xugu perhaps intended to evoke the intensified pace of late nineteenth-century urban life while also affirming friendship with an insider circle.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

清虛谷（朱懷仁）三友圖卷
Title: Three Friends
Artist: Xugu (Zhu Huairen) (Chinese, 1823–1896)
Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Date: 1894
Culture: China
Medium: Handscroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: Image: 10 1/2 × 61 1/4 in. (26.7 × 155.5 cm)
Overall with mounting: 11 in. × 33 ft. 4 3/16 in. (28 × 1016.5 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Jane DeBevoise and the Calello Family, 2024
Object Number: 2024.549.51
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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