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Banana Plants
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Min Zhen was trained by Tang Yin (1682–1756), a writer, playwright, and superintendent of the imperial porcelain workshops in Jingdezhen. The connection to him may have enabled Min to stay in Beijing for a decade from around 1773. It is not clear whether he ever resided in Yangzhou, but his style is in many instances reminiscent of that of Yangzhou artist Huang Shen. <br><br>This album was painted for his friend Dailili Shanren in exchange for a scholar’s stone. The paintings demonstrate the artist’s versatility and mature style in the last years of his life. While two paintings are rendered in unconventional compositions seen from above (<em>Cat and Butterfly </em><a href="https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1985.71.5">CMA 1985.71.5</a>) and below (<em>Banana Plant </em><a href="https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1985.71.11">CMA 1985.71.11</a>), they have a humorous touch. The banana plant stands for the world of literati but can also allude to Buddhism.
| Artist / Maker | Min Zhen |
|---|---|
| Date | 1788 |
| Culture / Origin | China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911) |
| Medium | album leaf, ink on paper |
| Dimensions | Sheet: 29 x 18.4 cm (11 7/16 x 7 1/4 in.) |
| Department | Chinese Art |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
Min Zhen (1730–1788) — Chinese painter (1730-1788).Disciplines: painter.Source: Wikidata (CC0) Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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