Untitled

Wen Zhengming

mid-16th century · Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk · Asian Art

Pine and rock are paired to create a quiet but sturdy image of constancy and persistence. This painting was created by the celebrated scholar-artist Wen Zhengming and later inscribed by his son Wen Jia with an eleventh-century poem about pine trees. Pines were a common subject for birthday-gift paintings; the elder Wen may have painted this one in advance and never found the occasion to inscribe it for a recipient.

Artist

Wen Zhengming

Date

mid-16th century

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art