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Plums, Bamboo, and Orchid
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This painting represents three of the plants known as the Four Gentlemen of Chinese painting; it lacks only autumn’s chrysanthemum. The plants’ characteristics are symbols of Confucian virtues, such as open-mindedness (bamboo), strength in the face of adversity (plum), and humility (orchid).
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePlums, Bamboo, and Orchid, 1834. Yamamoto Baiitsu (Japanese, 1783–1856). Hanging scroll; ink on silk; painting only: 172.4 x 79 cm (67 7/8 x 31 1/8 in.); including mounting: 252.7 x 105.4 cm (99 1/2 x 41 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund, 1975.93
