Bamboo in Mist
probably 19th century
Description
Painted in ink on gold-flecked paper, this painting represents gracefully curved sprays of bamboo in misty rain, implied in part by the downward bend of the stalks and leaves that bear the weight of the rain's moisture. Multiple shades of black and diluted gray ink brushstrokes invoke a sense of spacial depth and heighten the viewer's sense of the scene's rain-soaked surroundings. Flecks of metal decorate the paper ground like raindrops and mist. The artist's inscription at the upper right and dedication in the lower left fill the empty spaces of the composition and create a visual balance. Once affixed to a folding fan frame, this painting is now mounted as an album leaf. The inscription at the upper right translates: “Drenched bamboo in heavy mist should never be painted with leaves pointing upward. Here, bowing leaves are more faithful depiction of bamboo branches arched by the misty rain.”
Dimensions
painting max.: H. 24.5 x W. 53.2 cm (9 5/8 x 20 15/16 in.) mat size: H. 36.2 x W. 55.2 cm (14 1/4 x 21 3/4 in.) painting chord: H. 18.5 cm (7 5/16 in.)
Provenance
William Crout, Cambridge, MA (probably 1970s and 80s-2016), bequest; to Harvard Art Museums, 2016.
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