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Paintings after Ancient Masters: Chrysanthemum
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Poet Tao Yuanming (365–427 CE) turned down a career as an official in politically turbulent times to return to his home estate, northwest of Mount Lu, to write poetry and enjoy his garden and wine. As he grew chrysanthemums, Tao is associated with this flower. The artist Chen Hongshou, active in Zhejiang province, suffered through the violent transition from the Ming to the Qing dynasty around 1644. This painting of chrysanthemums alludes to the poet who lived a millennium earlier during similarly fraught times.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePaintings after Ancient Masters: Chrysanthemum (老蓮橅古: 菊花), 1598–1652. Chen Hongshou (Chinese, 1598/99–1652). Album leaf; ink and color on silk; overall: 30.2 x 26.7 cm (11 7/8 x 10 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1979.27.2.17
