Artwork
清 佚名 舊傳管道昇 竹石圖 冊頁|Bamboo
清 佚名 舊傳管道昇 竹石圖 冊頁|Bamboo is an ink painting by the Yuan dynasty literati painting artist Guan Daosheng. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This album leaf, titled Bamboo, is an ink painting on silk from the Qing Dynasty.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
These motifs were central to scholar-painters’ visual language, conveying personal virtue and the harmony between cultivated man and nature.
The album leaf depicts bamboo and rock, a pairing rooted in literati tradition that symbolizes resilience and integrity. Bamboo’s hollow stems and resilient leaves suggest moral uprightness, while the unyielding stone represents steadfastness amid adversity. These motifs were central to scholar-painters’ visual language, conveying personal virtue and the harmony between cultivated man and nature.
The anonymous attribution and 1639 date situate the work within late Ming to early Qing artistic circles influenced by such symbolism.
Technique & Style
The work is an album leaf executed in ink on silk, measuring approximately 27.3 by 27.3 centimeters. The painting depicts bamboo rendered with fluid, expressive lines that define both culms and leaves, while angular rock forms provide structural contrast. Ink wash modulates tonal depth across the foliage and stone, creating a balance between linear precision and atmospheric recession.
The handling favors delicate, rhythmic brushwork characteristic of late Ming–early Qing bamboo imagery, emphasizing organic rhythm over descriptive detail. The silk support remains supple, with no evidence of major tears or losses in the available record.
History & Provenance
The album leaf depicting bamboo and rocks, traditionally attributed to the Yuan dynasty artist Guan Daosheng, is now dated to 1639, placing its creation in the late Ming or early Qing period. The work was executed in China using ink on silk and measures 27.3 by 27.3 centimeters. Although the piece bears the name of the famous female painter, current scholarship identifies the creator as an anonymous artist, reflecting a common historical practice of attributing works to renowned figures.
The painting is currently held within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is cataloged under the accession number 13.220.99d. No specific records regarding the original commission or the precise chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the museum are provided in the available documentation.
Overview
This album leaf, titled Bamboo, is an ink painting on silk from the Qing Dynasty. It depicts slender bamboo stalks rendered with minimal brushwork. The artwork is attributed to an anonymous artist, though it was historically associated with the Yuan Dynasty painter Guan Daosheng.
Its style emphasizes simplicity and the inherent vitality of nature, reflecting the aesthetic values prevalent among scholar-artists of the period.
Artist & collection
