Beauty in a Bamboo Grove
- Culture
- Chinese
- Dynasty
- Ming dynasty, 1368–1644
- Date
- 16th century
- Classification
- Paintings
- Collection
- Asian Art
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- image: 52 15/16 x 23 15/16 in. (134.5 x 60.8 cm)
scroll: 112 3/8 x 30 3/8 in. (285.4 x 77.2 cm)
width from roller end to roller end: 34 1/4 in. (87 cm) - Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 856:1920
NOTES
An elegantly robed woman at the center of this painting holds an upright stalk of bamboo. She gazes at a small child, who grasps a low-hanging branch of blossoming prunus with both hands. This early spring scene, set in a balustraded garden, also includes a tall rock with perforations and a camellia shrub, whose auspicious red flowers reflect joy and protection. The plants, flowers, and festive dress suggest the occasion to be Chinese New Year.
The tradition of painting beautiful women, from all social classes, in garden settings may be traced to the Tang dynasty (618–907). The genre reached the peak of its development during the Northern Song (960–1127) and Southern Song (1127–1279) periods, but it continued to inspire professional and court artists during subsequent Yuan (1279–1368) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties.
Provenance
Miao Yuezao (1682–1761), China [1]
Lü Yonghui (active late 19th–early 20th century), China [2]
- 1920
Pang Laichen (Pang Yuanji; 1864–1949), Shanghai, China [3]
1920 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Pang Laichen, represented by Mr. F. S. Kwen (Guan Fuchu), through William K. Bixby [4]
Notes:
[1] Collector's seal of Miao Yuezao (with legend in tall rectangular relief reading "Gu Wu Miao shi shou cang") impressed on painting.
[2] Collector's seal of Lü Yonghui (with legend in tall rectangular relief reading "Lü shi Feiqing shen ding jian cang") impressed on painting.
[3] Collector's seals of Pang Laichen (with legends in square intaglio reading "Yuanji yin xin"; square relief reading "Xu zhai shen ding ming ji"; tall rectangular relief reading "Wuxing Pang shi zhen cang"; ) impressed on painting.
[4] Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, February 28, 1920.
Lü Yonghui (active late 19th–early 20th century), China [2]
- 1920
Pang Laichen (Pang Yuanji; 1864–1949), Shanghai, China [3]
1920 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Pang Laichen, represented by Mr. F. S. Kwen (Guan Fuchu), through William K. Bixby [4]
Notes:
[1] Collector's seal of Miao Yuezao (with legend in tall rectangular relief reading "Gu Wu Miao shi shou cang") impressed on painting.
[2] Collector's seal of Lü Yonghui (with legend in tall rectangular relief reading "Lü shi Feiqing shen ding jian cang") impressed on painting.
[3] Collector's seals of Pang Laichen (with legends in square intaglio reading "Yuanji yin xin"; square relief reading "Xu zhai shen ding ming ji"; tall rectangular relief reading "Wuxing Pang shi zhen cang"; ) impressed on painting.
[4] Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, February 28, 1920.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.