Plums, Bamboo, and Orchid
Medium
hanging scroll; ink on silk
Dimensions
painting only: 172.4 × 79 cm · including mounting: 252.7 × 105.4 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Accession Number
1975.93
Tags
male
About this artwork
This painting represents three of the plants known as the Four Gentlemen of Chinese painting; it lacks only autumn’s chrysanthemum. The plants’ characteristics are symbols of Confucian virtues, such as open-mindedness (bamboo), strength in the face of adversity (plum), and humility (orchid).