清 吳熙載 蟬柳 扇面|Cicada

Wu Xizai

dated 1852 · Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color on alum paper · Asian Art

Wu paints the cicada clinging to an autumn willow branch in the wet-ink manner of the 18th century Yangzhou Eccentrics. A willow branch suits Wu's calligraphic talent. As with bamboo painting, willow painting demands that each nuance of a leaf's form and texture be conveyed by a single line.

Artist

Wu Xizai

Date

dated 1852

Medium

Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color on alum paper

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986