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Greeting the Spring
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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 <em>whipping the spring ox</em> in hope for a good harvest.
| Artist / Maker | Wu Bin |
|---|---|
| Date | 1600 |
| Culture / Origin | China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644) |
| Medium | handscroll; ink and light color on paper |
| Dimensions | Image: 34.3 x 252.8 cm (13 1/2 x 99 1/2 in.); Overall: 35 x 1022.2 cm (13 3/4 x 402 7/16 in.) |
| Department | Chinese Art |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
Originally from Fujian province, the artist Wu Bin moved to Nanjing by 1600 where he was affiliated as a Buddhist layman with the Qixia temple. He specialized in landscapes and Buddhist subjects. 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.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
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