Artwork
明 唐寅 春雷墨竹圖 摺扇|Bamboo in a spring thunderstorm
明 唐寅 春雷墨竹圖 摺扇|Bamboo in a spring thunderstorm is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Tang Yin. It dates from 1512 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts bamboo rendered in ink on gold-flecked paper, a motif associated with the scholar-amateur tradition in Ming literati painting.
The work depicts bamboo rendered in ink on gold-flecked paper, a motif associated with the scholar-amateur tradition in Ming literati painting. In Chinese visual culture, bamboo symbolizes resilience and moral uprightness due to its hollow stems and evergreen leaves, while the thunderstorm in spring introduces a dynamic contrast of sudden awakening or renewal. The pairing of bamboo with a storm evokes themes of endurance amid sudden change, a concept resonant with the scholar-official’s ideal of steadfastness in turbulent circumstances. The composition’s seasonal and meteorological elements thus amplify the plant’s emblematic values of integrity and adaptability.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in ink on gold‑flecked paper, applied to a folding fan that was later mounted as an album leaf, a format documented in. Tang Yin’s brushwork combines swift, calligraphic strokes with deliberate washes to render bamboo stems and leaves, emphasizing the dynamic tension suggested by the title’s ‘spring thunderstorm.’ The fan’s silk support shows signs of careful handling, with minimal pigment loss, indicating good preservation as noted in. Formally, the composition balances dense vertical bamboo clusters against expansive negative space, employing a restrained palette of black ink and subtle gold accents to heighten atmospheric intensity.
History & Provenance
The work titled 明 唐寅 春雷墨竹圖 摺扇 (Bamboo in a spring thunderstorm) was produced in 1512 in China by the Ming‑dynasty painter Tang Yin as a folding fan mounted as an album leaf, executed in ink on gold‑flecked paper. It belongs to the landscape genre and portrays members of the Bambusoideae subfamily. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s catalogue, the piece entered the museum’s collection and has been displayed under the classification “Paintings.”
Its creation history is documented through the museum’s provenance record, which notes the 1512 date of execution and the work’s origin in China.
The folding fan painting Bamboo in a Spring Thunderstorm by Tang Yin, dated 1512, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, executed in ink on gold-flecked paper and mounted as an album leaf, measures 17.3 cm in height and 49.8 cm in width. While the source data confirms the artwork's location within this major American institution, specific inventory or accession numbers are not provided in the available records.
Furthermore, no details regarding the piece's exhibition history, such as specific shows or loan dates, are included in the current documentation.
Overview
Tang Yin's "Bamboo in a Spring Thunderstorm," painted in 1512, is an ink on paper work originally created for a folding fan. It portrays a single bamboo stalk caught amidst a dark, rain-filled sky. The artist's subtle ink washes and precise brushwork convey the atmosphere of a sudden spring downpour, presenting a scene that is both dynamic and introspective.
Artist & collection
Artist
Tang Yin (Chinese: 唐寅; pinyin: Táng Yín; Cantonese Yale: Tong Yan; 6 March 1470 – 7 January 1524), courtesy name Bohu (伯虎) and Ziwei (子畏), was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming dynasty period.
