Willow and Magpie
Fachang Muqi (Chinese, 1220–1280)
mid-1200s
Medium
hanging scroll; ink on paper
Dimensions
137.2 × 48.3 cm · image: 60.4 × 30.9 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1982.53
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
The Willow and Magpie is the product of a mindset that combines knowledgeable observation of birds in general and magpies in particular with an image-making process using a sophisticated ink technique to suggest the nature of the bird, the general characteristics of willow, and the visual effect of rain and mist. These are not trivial accomplishments but of equal importance with Southern Song period achievements in lyrical poetry or canal building.