Eagle on a Tree Trunk
1755
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1755
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Eagle on a Tree Trunk is a 1755 unspecified by Huang Shen, a Qing Painting work, depicting Qianlong Reign, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A brown eagle stands tall on a twisted tree trunk, its feathers painted with quick, bold strokes. Curved lines of a vine wrap around the trunk, and faint calligraphy runs down the side like a quiet echo of the bird’s sharp form. Huang Shen was one of the “Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou,” artists who broke from strict styles to express more freedom in their work. He supported himself by selling paintings in a busy city where wealthy merchants liked bold, fresh art. His brushwork in this piece feels fast and alive, matching the rhythm of the eagle’s intense gaze and the swirl of the vine. The Cleveland Museum of Art
Huang Shen’s swift painting style is paralleled in his calligraphy. The vertical line in running script echoes the fluid form of the eagle on a tree trunk covered with a twisted vine. A native of Fujian province, Huang came to Yangzhou in 1724 to make his living as a painter. He needed years to develop a style that met the taste of his clients. He eventually became known as a figure painter and as one of the Eccentrics from Yangzhou, a group of local artists known for their unorthodox painting style.
With its wings partially lifted and sharp beak open in expectation, the eagle seems intent on some unseen prey below.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Huang Shen (1687–1772) was a Chinese painter during the Qing Dynasty. Huang was born in Ninghua, Fujian province, to a poor family. His courtesy names were Gongshou (恭壽) and Gongmao (恭懋). His pseudonym was Yingpiaozi…
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