China, Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) / 1300–1370
Mountains of the Immortals
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Mountains of the Immortals as painting (China, Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) · 1300–1370).
Such blue and green landscapes often evoke nostalgia for the idealized ancient times.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as Handscroll; ink and color on silk and credits Chen Ruyan (Chinese, c. 1331–1371).
The museum's collection notes: The landscape in deep green tones offers a view into a secluded mountain valley, populated by ancient figures surrounded by deer and cranes, all under high pine trees. A red-robed immortal in the air steers his crane toward the paradise land. This idyllic scene was presumably created amid the tumultuous transition from the Yuan to the Ming dynasty. Chen from Suzhou supported major rebel leaders, first Zhang Shicheng (1321–1367) with his base in Suzhou and then his rival Zhu Yuanzhang in Nanjing, after the latter had established the Ming dynasty. Chen was executed in 1371.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtMountains of the ImmortalsOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.