Cleveland Museum of Art

Bamboo in Snow

Date

1818

Medium

hanging scroll; ink on paper

Culture

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Hong Fan’s bamboo stalks amidst rocky boulders bend gently forward. Light washes of ink suggest a misty, wintry atmosphere. Fan was inspired in style and concept by the poet, calligrapher and painter, Su Shi (1037-1101) who considered bamboo an ideal subject to express the calligraphic qualities of brushwork. Bamboo that bends, but does not break under the heavy snow, was also an image for the upright scholar who withstands adverse times. Hong Fan’s bamboo stalks and rocky boulders fill the picture plane almost entirely and recede and fade in the background, suggesting the depth of a grove and a wintry, hazy atmosphere.

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