Plum, Bamboo, and Rock
This painting testifies to Xu Beihong's aspiration to revitalize Chinese painting with a new experimental eclecticism. The bamboo is meticulously outlined, then filled with colored wash in the refined, descriptive style of Song dynasty (960–1279) court painting, which Xu admired. But a roughly outlined ochre rock is virtually flat, while the patches of ink wash that texture the adjacent lower tree trunk arbitrarily extend beyond its contours. Such perfunctory modes of execution were often criticized by Xu as mannerisms afflicting the literati painting tradition. But in this case, Xu's incongruous mix of brush methods enhances the painting's appeal by shattering conventional expectations. The plum blossoms, rendered as daubs of white pigment with blue cores, represent an audacious departure from their traditional rendering in either ink outlines or pale color washes. The blue, surprising at first glance, realistically renders the shadows of intensely white objects; aesthetically it echoes the blue-green bamboo. The white blossoms, indistinct against the blank paper, faithfully capture the optical impression of white plum blossoms in a bleak wintry landscape. The inscribed poem reads:
With its shadow it rests in the empty mountain;
How swiftly the year has moved toward an end!
The bright moon is chilly throughout the night;
The subtle fragrance lingers in the vastness.
(trans. by Shi-yee Liu)
With its shadow it rests in the empty mountain;
How swiftly the year has moved toward an end!
The bright moon is chilly throughout the night;
The subtle fragrance lingers in the vastness.
(trans. by Shi-yee Liu)
Artwork Details
- 現代 徐悲鴻 梅竹石圖 軸
- Title: Plum, Bamboo, and Rock
- Artist: Xu Beihong (Chinese, 1895–1953)
- Period: Republic period (1912–49)
- Date: dated 1942
- Culture: China
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 36 1/8 x 11 7/8 in. (91.8 x 30.2 cm)
Overall with mounting: 92 3/4 x 19 5/8 in. (235.6 x 49.8 cm)
Overall with knobs: 92 3/4 x 22 3/8 in. (235.6 x 56.8 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: The Lin Yutang Family Collection, Gift of Richard M. Lai, Jill Lai Miller, and Larry C. Lai, in memory of Taiyi Lin Lai, 2005
- Object Number: 2005.509.13
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Xu Beihong
dated 1935
Xu Beihong
dated 1938–48
Xu Beihong
dated 1942
Xu Beihong
dated 1942
Xu Beihong
dated 1941
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.