Herdboys tend their buffalo in a bucolic landscape by a winding stream. Guo Min emphasizes the massive forms and mighty power of the animals, transforming them into forces of nature. <br><br>The poem in the first scroll reads: "The bulls are engaging in fighting, Cautiously, each seeks to overcome the other. The herdboy calmly stands by. Untying his belt, he silently watches." <br><br>The poem in the second scroll reads: "Together, they wade through the middle of the stream, Mindless of perils in the journey. The grass grows tall in the village ahead, While the mist and rain spread far and wide."
<em>Views of Tiger Hill</em> depicts a historic site a few miles northwest of Suzhou. The scenes simulate a visit from arriving by boat at the foot of the mountain to climbing to Cloudy Cliff Monastery. Representations of the artist’s mature style, Shen Zhou included views in subtle colors in the suite of monochrome scenes. <br><br>A Suzhou native, Shen Zhou was supported by family wealth and rejected an official career in favor of life as a retired scholar. Turning to painting in midlife, he is regarded as the founder of the Wu School of painting, with its center in Suzhou.
A lone, elderly figure, his retreat from the world tucked into the mountains near a waterfall, looks out his window onto the landscape below. A poem in Chinese at the upper right conveys the atmosphere of the painting—the approach of evening, light coming through clouds, and a cool mountain breeze after a rainfall. The painter, Kan Tenju, was best known as a calligrapher and seal carver with a deep respect for Chinese literature.
The historic Buddha Shakyamuni is seated on an elaborately decorated pedestal and flanked by two attendants making gestures of devotion. The unknown artist used gold and deeply hued pigments to depict the luxurious fabrics, particularly the golden medallions of swirling dragons and clouds on the Buddha’s red robe. <br><br>The painting itself is mounted in a Buddhist style with two tiers of fine silk borders. The inner border of gold brocade on a cream background surrounds the painting. The outer border is yellow silk; decorative silk strips, called <em>futai</em>, dangle from the top hanging bar.
Marveling at the serenity evoked by "Fontein in het Park van Saint-Cloud bij Parijs" at #Rijksmuseum. Anonymous creator, circa 1880-1900 captures Paris's charm. Your thoughts?
#Rijksmuseum #ArtLovers #19thCenturyArt #Paris #DiscussArt
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/RP-F-F01092-AS
At the age of 22, Bonington achieved overnight success at the official (state sponsored) Paris exhibition known as Salon. Two years later, in 1826, he journeyed to Venice, a city that had long attracted landscape artists. At first, constant rain greatly depressed Bonington, but suddenly the weather changed and Venice was at its glorious best. Bonington frequently painted outdoors, capturing immediate impressions of Venetian architecture and sunlight. He made this particular study from a boat anchored in the lagoon near the Doge's Palace. The thick swirls of paint, with colors mixed together while still wet, indicates how rapidly the artist worked.
Hidden Gems
