Eagles
1506
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1506
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Eagles is a 1506 unspecified by Unknown, a Ming Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
Two eagles sit on rocks above water and flowers. Their feathers are painted with thin, careful lines. The plants below are done in quick, loose strokes. In Ming China, eagles could mean different things—strength, danger, or even a warning. Artists used them to show power or change, especially when rulers came and went. The painting feels quiet but carries a lot of hidden meaning. If you like this, look up more about china, ming dynasty (1368–1644).
Two eagles, painted in fine brushwork, perch on top of rocks surrounded by water, flowering camellia, and other vegetation, brushed in sweeping and broad strokes. Among birds, a favorite subject in Chinese painting, depictions of eagles can be traced back to at least the fourth century. Due to dramatic sociopolitical changes during the foreign-ruled Yuan (1279–1368) and native Ming dynasties, an elaborate symbolic language of the eagle developed. It can represent a vicious attacker, a courageous hero, or an enlightened emperor. In this painting, the two eagles are depicted peacefully resting…
Read the full account in the museum source.
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