Old pine
Pine and rock are paired to create a quiet but sturdy image of constancy and persistence. This painting was created by the celebrated scholar-artist Wen Zhengming and later inscribed by his son Wen Jia with an eleventh-century poem about pine trees. Pines were a common subject for birthday-gift paintings; the elder Wen may have painted this one in advance and never found the occasion to inscribe it for a recipient.
Artwork Details
- Title: Old pine
- Artist: Wen Zhengming (Chinese, 1470–1559)
- Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
- Date: mid-16th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 21 9/16 × 8 7/16 in. (54.7 × 21.5 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.500.8.4
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Wen Zhengming
dated 1543
Wen Zhengming
ca. 1540
Wen Zhengming
datable to 1506–10
Multiple artists/makers
Wen Zhengming
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