A Hundred Sparrows in a Lofty Grove
Lin Liang (Chinese, 1416–1480)
1368–1644
Medium
handscroll; ink on silk
Dimensions
28.6 × 498.2 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1981.4
Tags
male
About this artwork
Sparrows engaged in all kinds of activities frolic amid leafy branches, blades of grass, rocks, and a waterfall. As our eyes move over the scroll, the artist engages us in enjoying the sparrows’ carefree movements in a natural setting. The charming birds were painted from close observation in swift and fluent brushstrokes. Sparrows are a common bird and in Chinese painting they often represent the commoner in human society as opposed to the noble pheasant or peacock representative of the ruling ...