Water Buffaloes
dated 1639
Medium
Handscroll; ink on paper
Dimensions
10 3/4 x 173 23/32 in. (27.3 x 441.3 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Bequest of Dorothy Graham Bennett, 1967
Accession Number
67.6.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644), as China grappled with political turmoil and cultural refinement, artist Zhang Hong created *Water Buffaloes* 1639. This exquisite handscroll, rendered in ink on paper, measures an impressive 10 34 x 173 23/32 inches, to unroll gradually for intimate, meditative viewing—a hallmark of Chinese scroll painting. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art department, it exemplifies the period's literati tradition, where scholars-artists celebrated nature's harmony. Zhang Hong, a specialist in animal subjects, masterfully captures the majestic forms and gen...