Artwork
Squirrels on the Chestnut Tree
Squirrels on the Chestnut Tree is an unspecified painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Ge Shuying. It dates from 1304 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1979.70
- Credit line
- John L. Severance Fund
About this work
Two squirrels play in a chestnut tree, one nibbles a nut on a branch, the other sniffs a fallen one below.
Two squirrels play in a chestnut tree, one nibbles a nut on a branch, the other sniffs a fallen one below. The artist used quick, light strokes for their fur and thicker, wet strokes for the bark.
Ge Shuying painted this in the 1300s, when ink was the main medium. His squirrels feel alive because of the way he layered those short, sharp lines. No one knows much about him, but his work fits the quiet, careful style of Yuan dynasty artists.
If you like this, look up china, yuan dynasty (1271-1368) to see more ink paintings from the same time.
Overview
Squirrels on the Chestnut Tree is a painting depicting two squirrels at play in a chestnut tree, created using ink.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows one squirrel perched on a branch, nibbling a chestnut, while the other sniffs a fallen nut on the ground, capturing a moment of natural interaction.
Technique & Style
The artist employed short, staccato strokes to convey the softness of the squirrels' fur, contrasting with broader, wet strokes used for the tree's bark, exemplifying a characteristic monochrome style.
History & Provenance
Attributed to Ge Shuying, active in the Hangzhou region of eastern China during the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), the painting later gained popularity among Japanese collectors.
Context
The work reflects the artistic tendencies of the Yuan dynasty, marked by a quiet and careful approach to ink painting.
Artist & collection
