China, Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) / 1300s
Bamboo in the Wind
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Bamboo in the Wind as painting (China, Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) · 1300s).
Bamboo, pine, and plum, often referred to as the "three friends of winter," are popular motifs in Chinese literati art.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as Hanging scroll; ink on silk and credits Puming (Xuechuang) (Chinese, active before 1274–after 1329).
The museum's collection notes: Bamboo is an evergreen plant that does not break under the weight of snow or the force of the wind, and thus became a favorite motif in literati painting and Chan Buddhism as a metaphor for the virtue of not yielding to worldly temptations. Xuechuang, also known as monk Puming, was a native of Songjiang, near Shanghai, who spent his life as a monk in Suzhou. In 1338, he presided over Yunyan temple on Tiger Hill. Here, he masterfully depicts a bamboo gently bent in a subtle breeze. Puming’s paintings were revered in Japan and Korea.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtBamboo in the WindOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.