Crooked Pine
Because it retains its greenery even in the dead of winter, the pine symbolizes endurance and fortitude. For Yuan-dynasty scholars living under the alien rule of the Mongols, depictions of ancient pines became a potent metaphor for survival in the face of political discrimination.
Wu Zhen was an educated man who in more settled times would have followed a career in government service. He chose instead to live in reclusion in the mountains of Zhejiang Province. Calling himself the Plum Blossom Daoist (Meihua Daoren), he made a humble living through the practice of divination.
In his inscription, Wu describes the source of his inspiration for this painting:
In winter, the eleventh lunar month of the third year of the
Yuantong reign era [December 1335], while visiting the
Cloudy Grotto, I saw a crooked and twisting ancient tree.
So I wrote this picture to record what I saw. Meihua Daoren
[the Plum Blossom Daoist, Wu Zhen] playing with ink.
Wu Zhen was an educated man who in more settled times would have followed a career in government service. He chose instead to live in reclusion in the mountains of Zhejiang Province. Calling himself the Plum Blossom Daoist (Meihua Daoren), he made a humble living through the practice of divination.
In his inscription, Wu describes the source of his inspiration for this painting:
In winter, the eleventh lunar month of the third year of the
Yuantong reign era [December 1335], while visiting the
Cloudy Grotto, I saw a crooked and twisting ancient tree.
So I wrote this picture to record what I saw. Meihua Daoren
[the Plum Blossom Daoist, Wu Zhen] playing with ink.
Artwork Details
- 元 吳鎮 老松圖 軸
- Title: Crooked Pine
- Artist: Wu Zhen (Chinese, 1280–1354)
- Period: Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)
- Date: dated 1335
- Culture: China
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 65 3/8 x 32 1/2 in. (166.1 x 82.6 cm)
Overall with mounting: 100 1/2 x 37 1/8 in. (255.3 x 94.3 cm)
Overall with knobs: 100 1/2 x 40 1/2 in. (255.3 x 102.9 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1985
- Object Number: 1985.120.1
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Wu Zhen
ca. 1350
Wu Zhen
dated 1338
China
ca. 1319
Unidentified artist
mid-12th century
Ni Zan
dated 1372
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.