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Desk Album: Flower and Bird Paintings (Gossiping Sparrows)

Zhang Ruoai

1704

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Chinese Orthodox School 18th Century Still Life

Dominant colour

Desk Album: Flower and Bird Paintings (Gossiping Sparrows) is a 1704 unspecified by Zhang Ruoai, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Zhang Ruoai
When & what style?: 1704 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This painting shows two sparrows on a bare branch with green leaves and white flowers. One bird is perched, tilting its head like it’s listening. The other is mid-flight, wings spread wide. The background is mostly empty, with just a few brushstrokes of grass below. The sparrows look like they’re gossiping—one seems curious, the other ready to take off. The artist used simple colors but made the birds and leaves stand out clearly. Next, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more works like this.