Beauties and Heroes: Legends and Stories in Chinese Art
(from 21st Jan until 15th Jul 2012)Explore paintings, prints and papercuts depicting legendary figures from Chinese folklore.
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Man and boy with plum blossoms and a crane
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Description
Lin Bu was a Chinese poet renowned among Northern Song dynasty emperors, and whose poems about plum blossoms were greatly admired by scholars, so that his story has become a favourite subject of literati painting. This painting contains almost all of the typical features of a painting of Lin Bu, such as plum blossoms, cranes, and a servant boy. The artist has inscribed a poem at the top of the painting, in which he regards Lin as an immortal in the heavenly scenes of West Lake, and wishes to follow him. As in the painting of Lin Bu by Min Zhen [EA1964.83], the artist mainly applies ink to show a simple and elegant literati taste.
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Details
- Associated place
- Date
- 1899
- Associated people
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Lin Bu (AD 967 - 1028) (subject)
- Material and technique
- ink and colour on paper
- Dimensions
- 142 x 77 cm (height x width)
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- Technique index
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- No. of items
- 1
- Credit line
- Presented in honour of the forthcoming 70th birthdays of Jose Mauricio and Angelita Trinidad Reyes, 1995.
- Accession no.
- EA1995.248
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Further reading
Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 24 September-1 December 1996, Modern Chinese Paintings: The Reyes Collection in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Vainker, Shelagh (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1996), no. 129 on p. 94, illus. p. 94 fig. 129
Past Exhibition
see (1)
Location
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- currently in research collection
Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.
Publications online
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Modern Chinese Paintings: The Reyes Collection in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Figure paintings, particularly those depicting immortals or legendary heroes, were popular subjects for commemorative or New Year Pictures. This work is not unsigned, but the calligraphy is unclear and it is only possible to establish that the artist was from Linchuan in Jiangxi province. The extensive use of courtesy words suggests that it was a valued commission.
Notice
Objects from past exhibitions may have now returned to our stores or a lender. Click into an individual object record to confirm whether or not an object is currently on display. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis, so please contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular Eastern Art object.
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