Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
In a bamboo grove surrounded by pine trees and rocks, four men listen to a friend play the zither. Nearby, a man washes his feet in the stream as a seventh and final companion approaches on a dirt path. These are the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, men of the third century who retreated from the chaos of society to cultivate themselves amid the quietude of nature. Secluded from politics, they played music, drank wine, and conversed about lofty subjects. They were frequently depicted by artists in a variety media.
Artwork Details
- 清 劉彦冲 蘭亭修禊圖 卷
- Title: Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
- Artist: Liu Yanchong (Chinese, 1808–1847)
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Date: 1844
- Culture: China
- Medium: Handscroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 12 1/2 in. × 14 ft. 11 15/16 in. (31.8 × 457 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of Jane DeBevoise and the Calello Family, 2024
- Object Number: 2024.549.19
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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