Artwork Page for Bamboo in Snow

Details / Information for Bamboo in Snow

Bamboo in Snow

墨竹雪圖

1818

Hong Fan 洪範

(Chinese, active late 1700s–early 1800s)
Culture
China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Medium
hanging scroll; ink on paper
Measurements
Painting only: 164.5 x 87.6 cm (64 3/4 x 34 1/2 in.); Overall with knobs: 288 x 121.7 cm (113 3/8 x 47 15/16 in.)
Credit Line
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2023.161
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

Hong Fan’s bamboo stalks and rocky boulders fill the picture plane almost entirely and recede and fade in the background, suggesting the depth of a grove and a wintry, hazy atmosphere.

Description

Hong Fan’s bamboo stalks amidst rocky boulders bend gently forward. Light washes of ink suggest a misty, wintry atmosphere. Fan was inspired in style and concept by the poet, calligrapher and painter, Su Shi (1037-1101) who considered bamboo an ideal subject to express the calligraphic qualities of brushwork. Bamboo that bends, but does not break under the heavy snow, was also an image for the upright scholar who withstands adverse times.
A hanging scroll in black ink depicts dark bamboo and a large, dotted rock against a hazy, gray-washed background on buff paper. On the right, the rock rises vertically, marked by dense, dark spots. Pointed, black bamboo leaves fan out to the left from sturdy stalks. Lighter gray bamboo and unpainted areas on the leaf tops suggest snow. Chinese calligraphy and a red seal occupy the upper left corner.

Bamboo in Snow

1818

Hong Fan

(Chinese, active late 1700s–early 1800s)
China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

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