Painting of Fenghuang
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
55 1/2 x 31 3/8 in. (141.0 x 79.7 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Ming (1368–1644) or Qing (1644–1911) dynasty
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of A. W. Bahr, 1948
Accession Number
48.20
About this artwork
This monumental hanging scroll depicting the fenghuang (Chinese phoenix) demonstrates the continued vitality of bird-and-flower painting during China's Ming (1368-1644) or Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Attributed to Lin Liang, a court painter active during the Ming dynasty's Chenghua period (1465-1487), this work measures an impressive 55 1/2 x 31 3/8 inches and employs ink and color on silk. The fenghuang, a mythological bird symbolizing virtue, prosperity, and imperial power, appears frequently ...