Grasshopper on Rock
15th century
Medium
Miniature from album of eleven paintings; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
Image: 5 x 6 3/4 in. (12.7 x 17.1 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (?) (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1942
Accession Number
42.200.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Grasshopper on Rock" is a delicate miniature album leaf created by the Chinese artist Liang in the 15th century during the Ming dynasty. Measuring just 5 by ¾ inches, this intimate work in ink and color on silk captures a grasshopper perched on a rock amid strawberries and other insects. As part of an album of paintings, it reflects the Ming-era tradition of compiling personal collections of small-scale artworks for quiet contemplation and scholarly appreciation. In Chinese painting, such album leaves allowed artists to explore the natural world with remarkable precision and subtlety. The u...