Who painted 清沙馥松鼠葡萄扇面|Squirrel and Grapes?

清沙馥松鼠葡萄扇面|Squirrel and Grapes was painted by Sha Fu in dated 1894.

Where can I see 清沙馥松鼠葡萄扇面|Squirrel and Grapes?

清沙馥松鼠葡萄扇面|Squirrel and Grapes is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 清沙馥松鼠葡萄扇面|Squirrel and Grapes?

清沙馥松鼠葡萄扇面|Squirrel and Grapes is associated with Impressionism.

清沙馥松鼠葡萄扇面|Squirrel and Grapes by Sha Fu (dated 1894)

Accession no.: 1986.267.77
Credit line: Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The pairing of the two animals with the fruit also evokes the classical wish for many descendants, since squirrels and grapes together connote prolific progeny.

Sha Fu's fan painting presents a still life of squirrels among grape vines, a traditional Chinese motif rich with auspicious meaning. Grapes, which grow in abundant clusters, have long symbolized fertility, plentiful offspring, and bountiful harvests, while the squirrel (sōngshǔ) is a homophone in Chinese for the character for "pine," reinforcing associations with longevity and endurance. The pairing of the two animals with the fruit also evokes the classical wish for many descendants, since squirrels and grapes together connote prolific progeny.

Rendered in ink and color on alum paper and mounted as an album leaf, the composition places the lively creatures within twisting vines and broad leaves, a format well suited to the celebratory symbolism of the subject.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in ink and color on alum paper, mounted as a folding fan that has been stabilized as an album leaf. The composition employs fine, controlled brushwork to render the squirrel and grape forms with delicate detail, while broader washes establish the foliage and background. The palette relies on muted greens and browns for the leaves and branches, contrasted by deep purples and greens for the clustered grapes, and a pale ground to heighten the naturalism of the subject.

The squirrel is positioned in profile, its fur described with short, textured strokes that suggest volume and movement, while the grapes are built up in layered translucent glazes to suggest translucency and depth. The fan’s original function as a portable object is still legible in the work’s elongated format and the slight curvature of the support.

History & Provenance

The folding fan painting Squirrel and Grapes by Sha Fu was created in 1894 in China. Executed in ink and color on alum paper, the work depicts squirrels amidst grapes and leaves. It was later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held in their collection.

The piece measures 16.8 cm in height and 50.2 cm in width and has been mounted as an album leaf. No specific details regarding the original commission, the identity of the initial patron, or the intermediate ownership chain prior to its arrival at the museum are provided in the available records.

The folding fan mounted as an album leaf titled Squirrel and Grapes, created by Sha Fu in 1894, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, executed in ink and color on alum paper, is located at the museum's premises. While the source confirms the institution's ownership and the object's physical dimensions, no specific inventory or accession numbers are provided in the available records.

Furthermore, there is no information regarding the piece's exhibition history or past display contexts within the provided documentation.

Context

The 1894 folding fan painting Squirrel and Grapes by Sha Fu exemplifies late‑Qing still‑life subjects, depicting a grape cluster, leaf, and squirrel in ink and color on alum paper. Its inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection underscores scholarly and curatorial recognition of Sha Fu’s work within Chinese painting traditions, positioning the piece as a documented example of late‑19th‑century Chinese album‑leaf fan art and provides insight into the artist’s engagement with natural motifs;.

Overview

Sha Fu's "Squirrel and Grapes," created in 1894, is a painting rendered with ink and color on alum paper. Originally a folding fan, it has since been flattened and mounted as an album leaf. The composition features a lively squirrel interacting with a cluster of grapes and surrounding foliage, characteristic of still-life subjects in Chinese art.