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West Lake
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
West Lake near Hangzhou, China, has been home to revered poets who immortalized it in their poetry. Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi (772–846) lived in its vicinity, and Song dynasty poet Lin Bu (967–1028) led a reclusive life on Solitary Hill near the lake. Landscape paintings of West Lake gained in popularity in Japan as early as the 1400s. The distinctive, arched bridges connecting small islands in the lake identify the subject. Ike Taiga was among the first generation of Japanese artists to emulate Chinese scholars who painted as amateurs and gifted their work to friends and colleagues.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineWest Lake (西湖図), mid-1700s. Ike Taiga (Japanese, 1723–1776). Hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper; painting: 58 x 133 cm (22 13/16 x 52 3/8 in.); mounted: 170.5 x 140.3 cm (67 1/8 x 55 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1970.69
