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Five Pine Trees
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Li Shan was born into a family of scholars and officials in Yangzhou. The wealth and status of Li's family assured him an educational and cultural advantage, including his appointment at court. The subjects Li Shan chose to paint—orchids, bamboo, pines, and flowers—reflected his literati background. <em>Five Pine Trees</em>, painted late in his career, is an unconventional work. Rather than having focused on a realistic treatment of the subject, Li created the trees with an interplay of richly modulated strokes, while he utilized a semicursive script among the branches to illustrate the kinship between painting and calligraphy.
| Artist / Maker | Li Shan |
|---|---|
| Date | 1747 |
| Culture / Origin | China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong reign (1736–95) |
| Medium | Hanging scroll; ink on paper |
| Dimensions | Image: 199.9 x 94.3 cm (78 11/16 x 37 1/8 in.); Overall: 260 x 98 cm (102 3/8 x 38 9/16 in.) |
| Department | Chinese Art |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
Li Shan (1686–1762) — Chinese artist (1686-1762).Disciplines: painter.Source: Wikidata (CC0) Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
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