China, Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) / 1300s
A Prunus in the Moonlight
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs A Prunus in the Moonlight as painting (China, Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) · 1300s).
The painting portrays the plum in the nighttime, as indicated by the tint of the background and the presence of the moon.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as Hanging scroll; ink on silk and credits Wang Mian (Chinese, 1287–1359).
The museum's collection notes: The plum flourishes in the mild climate of the south, and it was not before the Six Dynasties period (220– 589 CE) that the motif began to be appreciated by southern artists, many of whom had emigrated from the north. Wang Mian from Zhejiang province had failed the civil and military service examinations and later rejected appointments under the Mongol government. Instead, he chose to return home, making a living by selling plum paintings. Few of Wang’s works have survived, but they demonstrate that by his time the ink-plum ( momei ) genre was fully developed.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtA Prunus in the MoonlightOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.