COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
Record
AMICA ID:
CMA_.2000.69
AMICA Library Year:
2001
Object Type:
Paintings
Creator Name:
Yu Zhiding
Creator Nationality:
Chinese
Creator Role:
artist
Creator Dates/Places:
1647 - aft 1709
Gender:
M
Creator Birth Place:
Yangzhou
Creator Name-CRT:
Yu Zhiding
Title:
Cleansing Medicinal Herbs in the Stream on a Spring Day
Title Type:
Primary
View:
Detail
Creation Date:
1703
Creation Start Date:
1703
Creation End Date:
1703
Materials and Techniques:
handscroll, ink and color on paper
Dimensions:
Open and extended: 36.2cm
AMICA Contributor:
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Owner Location:
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
ID Number:
2000.69
Credit Line:
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
Context:
A famous portraitist of the Qing period, Yu Zhiding portrayed a number of historic figures of his time. This handscroll features the likeness of Shi Shenyi (born 1661). Master Shi attained the coveted jinshi ("presented scholar") degree in 1688, which prepared him for an official career. Besides being a poet, he was also deeply interested in medicinal science.The image of Shi Shenyi occupies only a small portion of the painting. Yet all the elements in the painting point directly back to him. The opening section of the scroll reveals a young boy servant washing a fungus, a basket of medicinal herbs by his side. Shi Shenyi himself, clad in a lavender robe, appears later on a raised terrace. All around the figures are rocks and hills painted in the "blue-green style," which removes the setting from the earthly to a celestial realm. Master Shi is further surrounded by tall bamboos, blooming magnolia, and peach blossoms-plants that invariably carry symbolic meaning. In the distance is a pavilion where books, writing instruments, antique vases, and a jade pendant are displayed on a table. These objects establish Master Shi's identity as a man of learning and a person of integrity, refined taste and varied interests.
Related Image Identifier Link:
CMA_.2000.69det01.tif
Link To Source
Cleansing Medicinal Herbs in the Stream on a Spring Day
