北宋 徽宗 竹禽圖 卷|Finches and bamboo

Emperor Huizong

early 12th century

北宋 徽宗 竹禽圖 卷|Finches and bamboo by Emperor Huizong

Medium

Handscroll; ink and color on silk

Dimensions

Image: 13 1/4 × 21 13/16 in. (33.7 × 55.4 cm) Overall with mounting: 13 3/4 in. × 27 ft. 6 5/16 in. (34.9 × 839 cm)

Classification

Paintings

Culture & Period

China · Northern Song dynasty (960–1127)

Department

Asian Art

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

John M. Crawford Jr. Collection, Purchase, Douglas Dillon Gift, 1981

Accession Number

1981.278

Tags

BirdsBamboo

About this artwork

Finches and bamboo is a paintings by Chinese artist Emperor Huizong, created in early 12th century. The work was created using handscroll; ink and color on silk. It measures Image: 13 1/4 × 21 13/16 in. (33.7 × 55.4 cm) Overall with mounting: 13 3/4 in. × 27 ft. 6 5/16 in. (34.9 × 839 cm). This piece represents the artistic traditions of China, Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), embodying the aesthetic values and technical expertise of its makers. The painting showcases the artistic techniques a...

Art Historical Context

Behold *Finches and Bamboo*, a masterful handscroll painted by Emperor Huizong the Northern Song dynasty (–1127) in the early 12th century. Created in ink and color on silk the image measures a compact 13¼ × 21⅞ inches (33.7 × 55.4 cm), but fully mounted, it extends an impressive 27½ feet (839 cm)—perfect for slow, meditative viewing as it unrolls to reveal delicate finches perched amid swaying bamboo stalks. Emperor Huizong, the eighth and penultimate ruler of the Northern Song, was a renowned artist whose refined works epitomize the era's "scholar-amateur" aesthetic. This painting captures ...

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