Artwork
筆者不詳 竹林七賢図|Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
筆者不詳 竹林七賢図|Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove is an ink painting. It dates from 1741 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A hanging scroll rendered in ink and color on silk portrays seven figures gathered beneath a stand of bamboo.
About this work
Technique & Style
The painting originates from Japan and is classified within the religious genre, depicting male figures identified as the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.
Created in 1741, this work is a hanging scroll executed in ink and color on silk. The painting originates from Japan and is classified within the religious genre, depicting male figures identified as the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. The support of silk serves as the foundation for the application of both monochrome ink and polychrome pigments, a traditional medium for Japanese painting of this period. The physical dimensions of the scroll measure 61.4 cm in height and 89.5 cm in width.
History & Provenance
The painting dates to 1741 and was produced in Japan, executed in ink and color on silk as a hanging scroll. It is attributed to an anonymous artist rather than to a documented patron or commissioner, and no specific circumstances of its creation are recorded in the available sources. The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is inventoried under the accession number 29.100.448, indicating that it entered the museum's holdings and has remained there under institutional ownership.
Beyond this terminal point in the ownership chain, the sources provide no further details on earlier provenance, intermediate collectors, or the circumstances of acquisition.
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is accessioned as 29.100.448. According to the museum's cataloging, the work is classified as a painting and consists of a hanging scroll executed in ink and color on silk, produced in Japan in 1741.
No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
A hanging scroll rendered in ink and color on silk portrays seven figures gathered beneath a stand of bamboo. The men are shown reclining, drinking, playing instruments, and conversing, evoking a leisurely retreat. The work is attributed to an anonymous hand and belongs to the Japanese tradition of painting Chinese literary themes.
Subject & Meaning
The scene illustrates the legendary Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, a group of Chinese scholars who withdrew from official life to seek personal freedom and spontaneity. The bamboo setting underscores virtues of resilience and pliancy, qualities the sages prized as they embraced a life removed from courtly constraints.
Context
During the period when Chinese literary motifs were popular in Japanese visual arts, the Seven Sages theme served as a moral exemplar, encouraging scholars to prioritize personal integrity over bureaucratic ambition. The work thus aligns with broader Japanese interest in Chinese classical stories as vehicles for ethical reflection.
Artist & collection
