Artwork
Herdboys and Buffalo in Landscapes
Herdboys and Buffalo in Landscapes is an unspecified painting by the Song dynasty landscape artist Guo Min. It dates from 1267 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
History & Provenance
Herdboys and Buffalo in Landscapes was created by Guo Min in 1267, a date confirmed across both the corpus record and the Wikidata entry for the work.
Herdboys and Buffalo in Landscapes was created by Guo Min in 1267, a date confirmed across both the corpus record and the Wikidata entry for the work. The painting entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is held under accession number 1999.216. Beyond the attribution to Guo Min, the fixed creation year, and the museum's current ownership, no further details of commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition history are documented in the available sources.
The painting Herdboys and Buffalo in Landscapes is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland. The work, created by the artist Guo Min in 1267, is identified in the museum's records under the accession number 1999.216. This specific inventory designation links the mid-late thirteenth-century landscape to the institution's holdings.
Overview
Guo Min’s painting Herdboys and Buffalo in Landscapes, dated 1267, is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work presents a tranquil rural scene dominated by two grazing buffalo in the foreground, a solitary figure beneath a contorted tree on a rocky slope, and a muted, open sky that recedes into soft brown‑gray tones.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes the massive presence of the buffalo with a diminutive human figure, suggesting a harmonious coexistence between people and nature. A brief Chinese poem inscribed along the upper margin adds a literary dimension, inviting contemplation of the landscape’s quiet rhythm and the pastoral life it depicts.
Technique & Style
Executed with a loose, expressive brushstroke, the painting emphasizes broad shapes rather than fine detail. The artist’s handling of ink and pigment creates a naturalistic texture, while the restrained palette of earth tones reinforces the serene atmosphere and the simplicity of the scene.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Guo Min is a Chinese diplomat who served as the Chinese ambassador to Azerbaijan from 2019 to 2024. She previously served as Chinese consul general in the Russian cities of Irkutsk from 2007 to 2012 and Saint Petersburg from 2015 to 2019.
