Who painted Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids?

Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids was painted by Zhao Mengfu in 1319-01-01.

Where can I see Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids?

Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids?

Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids is associated with Ming dynasty painting.

Artwork

Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids

Zhao Mengfu , 1319

Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids is an unspecified painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Zhao Mengfu. It dates from 1319 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts bamboo, rocks, and lonely orchids, elements that collectively form the visual subject of the painting.

The work depicts bamboo, rocks, and lonely orchids, elements that collectively form the visual subject of the painting. While the title explicitly names these natural features, the specific iconographic interpretations or symbolic meanings attributed to the orchids, bamboo, and rocks within this 1319 composition are not detailed in the available records. The artwork is a painting created by Zhao Mengfu in China during the early fourteenth century.

History & Provenance

Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids is a painting created by Zhao Mengfu in 1319, during the Yuan dynasty. Zhao Mengfu, who lived from 1254 to 1322, executed the work in China. The painting entered the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1963 and is held there under accession number 1963.515.

Available sources do not record any earlier owners, commissions, or exhibition history prior to its acquisition by the museum. The work remains in the museum’s permanent collection.

Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Ohio. The work, created by Zhao Mengfu, bears the accession number 1963.515 within the museum's records. While the painting is dated to 1319, the provided sources do not contain specific details regarding its exhibition history or prior provenance before entering the museum's collection.

Overview

Created in 1319 by the Yuan‑dynasty scholar‑artist Zhao Mengfu, this hanging scroll entitled Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The composition presents a quiet natural scene that balances solid forms with open space, inviting contemplation through its restrained visual language.

Technique & Style

Executed with fine brushwork on paper, the painting employs a muted palette of ink tones and subtle washes. Zhao’s handling of negative space creates atmospheric depth, allowing the central elements to emerge with quiet clarity. The strokes are light yet precise, rendering the foliage and stone surfaces with a calm, understated vigor.

Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids, Zhao Mengfu

Artist & collection

Artist

Zhao Mengfu

Zhao Mengfu (Chinese: 趙孟頫; pinyin: Zhào Mèngfǔ; Wade–Giles: Chao Meng-fu; courtesy name Zi'ang (子昂); pseudonyms Songxue (松雪, "Pine Snow"), Oubo (鷗波, "Gull Waves"), and Shuijing-gong Dao-ren (水精宮道人, "Master of the Water…