Cleveland Museum of Art

Paintings after Ancient Masters: Chrysanthemum

Chen Hongshou

Date

1598–1652

Medium

Album leaf; ink and color on silk

Culture

China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Poet Tao Yuanming (365–427 CE) turned down a career as an official in politically turbulent times to return to his home estate, northwest of Mount Lu, to write poetry and enjoy his garden and wine. As he grew chrysanthemums, Tao is associated with this flower. The artist Chen Hongshou, active in Zhejiang province, suffered through the violent transition from the Ming to the Qing dynasty around 1644. This painting of chrysanthemums alludes to the poet who lived a millennium earlier during similarly fraught times.

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