China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644) / 1600
Greeting the Spring
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Greeting the Spring as painting (China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644) · 1600).
This handscroll bears five collector seals by the Qianlong emperor indicating his appreciation for the painting.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as handscroll; ink and light color on paper and credits Wu Bin (Chinese, active c. 1591–1626).
The museum's collection notes: This masterfully composed landscape in light colors and delicate brushwork is an image of the water-rich Jiangnan region in southeast China, where Wu Bin was active as an artist. Embedded in rolling hills along lakesides and streams nestle cityscapes hosting numerous spring festivities. Lantern displays and street performances in the villages salute the New Year, and are interwoven with scenes of farming, fishing, and silk making. In one scene in the middle ground, an ox made of clay under a canopy is lead in a procession to an architectural compound, a ceremony known as whipping the spring ox in hope for a good harvest.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtGreeting the SpringOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.