The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Bamboo in Wind

Bamboo in Wind

early 1500s

attributed to Genga

(Japanese)
Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573)
hanging scroll; ink on silk
Image: 95.2 x 39.7 cm (37 1/2 x 15 5/8 in.); Overall: 182.5 x 58 cm (71 7/8 x 22 13/16 in.)
Gift in memory of Mrs. Samuel Savage 1975.71.2
Location: not on view

Description

East Asian paintings from China, Korea, and Japan were frequently conceived as sets of multiple images. These sets might have been composed for specific palace or temple rooms, or to portray a specific theme, such as the four seasons. Over time, the original intent of such sets is often lost through damage, changes in ownership, or a variety of other reasons.

The identity of the artist can also be lost, but then, sometimes, retrieved. This pair of ink paintings has traditionally been labeled as Japanese and attributed to the 16th-century painter Genga. Since there are no seals or signature of the artist on the painting, this attribution was based on comparisons of brush style with paintings known to be by Genga. More recent study indicates that while the 16th century is an appropriate time frame for the pair, the precise cultural identity of the artist is not certain after all. The dark, eccentric shapes of the rocks and bamboo clusters and the dramatic tonal contrasts evident throughout the composition point to either Korean authorship or influence upon a Japanese painter of the period.
  • 1975
    (Sotheby Parke Bernet, Inc., New York, NY)
    1975–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1975.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 63, no. 2 (February 1976): 31–71. Mentioned: no. 156, p. 70; Reproduced: no. 156, p. 62 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 378 archive.org
  • Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 121). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (March 12–July 13, 2004).
    The Flowering of Southern Sung and its Legacy. Ackland Art Museum, University of North Carolina at chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC (March 15–April 29, 1985).
    Year in Review: 1975. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 3-March 7, 1976).
  • {{cite web|title=Bamboo in Wind|url=false|author=Genga|year=early 1500s|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1975.71.2