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Bamboo in Four Seasons: Summer
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The painting depicts high bamboo stems in a breeze with leaves all torn in one direction. The rock on the right suggests a garden setting. Bamboo remains green throughout the year; new shoots emerge every spring and are a Chinese delicacy. During the Yuan dynasty, monochrome ink painting became the dominant style of the scholar-artist, and is used here by a professional painter. Monochrome bamboo with leaves blown in the wind was a popular subject as its depiction demanded brushstrokes and techniques similar to writing calligraphy.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineBamboo in Four Seasons: Summer, 1279–1368. China, Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Hanging scroll; ink on silk; overall: 232.3 x 82.6 cm (91 7/16 x 32 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 1982.150.1