元 吳鎮 高節凌雲圖 軸|Bamboo, old tree, and rock

The hanging scroll by Wu Zhen, dated 1338 and executed in ink on silk, exemplifies Yuan-period painting. Its subject, bamboo, an ancient tree, and a rock, is a hallmark of literati art. Scholarship situates the piece within Wu Zhen's broader oeuvre of ink-based natural motifs, noting its role in the development of Chinese literati landscape and bamboo painting traditions.

As part of the museum's collection, the scroll contributes to scholarly understanding of 14th-century Chinese painting and illustrates the integration of poetic inscription with visual composition in the period.

Wu Zhen's "Bamboo, Old Tree, and Rock" is an ink painting on silk, created in 1338. This hanging scroll features a composition centered around a tall bamboo stalk, a gnarled ancient tree, and a rugged rock formation. The work exemplifies the artist's distinctive approach to landscape and botanical subjects, utilizing traditional materials to convey a sense of natural vitality and atmospheric depth.

The painting's title, "High Virtue Soaring to the Clouds," alludes to the symbolic significance of its primary elements. Bamboo, often associated with resilience and integrity in Chinese culture, reaches upwards, suggesting noble character. The ancient tree and robust rock further contribute to a sense of enduring strength and steadfastness, themes frequently explored in literati painting of the Yuan dynasty.

Wu Zhen employed a distinctive technique, leaving significant portions of the silk unpainted. This negative space is integral to the composition, allowing the bamboo to appear as if extending into an expansive sky. His brushwork is characterized by dry, rapid strokes, reminiscent of calligraphic practice. Shadows and volume are rendered through precise ink lines and cross-hatching, rather than color, creating textural depth.