Snow Coloring the World White
1690
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
1690
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Snow Coloring the World White is a 1690 unspecified by Fa Ruozhen, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This handscroll shows a snowy scene in China during the Qing dynasty. It stretches from gentle hills to rocky cliffs, all covered in white snow. Bare trees stand out against the white, with a few dark rocks peeking through. Fa Ruozhen painted this at age 78 as a welcome for guests. He used bold brushstrokes to show the snow’s depth and texture. The scroll’s long shape lets you follow the winter landscape step by step. Try looking up more works by Fa Ruozhen (Chinese, 1613–1696).
Fa Ruozhen was a scholar-official and prolific poet who focused on painting as his government career declined. The inscription records that he was 78 years old when he painted this handscroll to welcome visitors on a snowy day. At this point in his artistic development, Fa created expressive landscapes and experimented with unconventional brushwork. This handscroll begins at the right with gentle hills dotted with evergreens and bare deciduous trees. By the end, the twisting rocky forms dominate. Fa’s official career spanned the fall of the Han Chinese Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and the rise of…
Read the full account in the museum source.
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