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Cytises et Digitales, 1898. Maurice Pillard Verneuil (French, 1869–1942). Color lithograph; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Elizabeth Carroll Shearer 2016.256
More at clevelandart.org/art/2016.256
Wu Li, a native of Jiangsu province, was a talented painter, poet, and calligrapher. He studied painting with Wang Jian (1598–1677) and Wang Shimin (1592–1680), two of the “Four Wangs,” leaders of the Orthodox school of painting in the early Qing period. Through them, he also absorbed styles of earlier Ming dynasty masters.<br><br>Wu was highly praised by his contemporaries and his paintings were in demand, but his interest in philosophy and religion curtailed his painting activities later in life. Wu Li converted to Christianity and in 1688 was ordained as one of the first 3 Chinese Jesuit priests. He spent the final 30 years of his life primarily in missionary work with the poor.<br><br>Although this painting is undated, the sooty blackness of the ink tones and the easy self-confidence with which they are set down on paper echo recognized late works.
China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper
Image: 109.5 x 25.9 cm (43 1/8 x 10 3/16 in.); Overall: 207 x 44.9 cm (81 1/2 x 17 11/16 in.)
Did you know...
A figure carrying a <em>qin</em>, zither, walks between the buildings, perhaps intending to play music for the two men seated beneath the pines.
John L. Severance Fund
Unlike fragile portrait miniatures painted in watercolor on vellum or ivory, which are prone to cracking, fading, and flaking, enamels are resilient, impervious to the effects of light, and retain their striking original colors over time. Partly for this reason enamel was considered ideal for reproducing famous paintings and treasured portraits in a reduced and luminous form. The complicated and labor-intensive process of enameling required the artist to fire numerous layers of colored metal oxide at different temperatures. This process made it difficult to produce a faithful portrait likeness, though masters of the medium were able create portraits of remarkable subtlety imbued with the sitter's personality. The heyday of enamel painting was the late-seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Among the enamel specialists was the Swiss Jean Petitot, who was patronized by English King Charles I, French King Louis XIV, and Polish King John III Sobieski. His workshop produced many versions of this portrait of King Louis XIV, which would have been much in demand as a diplomatic gift from the king to loyal courtiers or foreign allies.
France, 17th century
enamel in a silver and diamond frame
Framed: 3.4 x 3.1 cm (1 5/16 x 1 1/4 in.); Unframed: 2.8 x 2.4 cm (1 1/8 x 15/16 in.)
The Edward B. Greene Collection
This print series was first privately produced for the Taihaidō poetry club led by a “wild” or comic verse (kyōka) poet with the humorous pen name Taihaidō Donshō (or Nomimasu), which translates to “Hall of the Large Cup, Swallow a Liter (or Drink).” The initial print had three poems by members of the club at the top. This print, released as part of a public set of the series later on, has but a single poem, not featured in the original, which reads: <br><br><em>The snow falling heavily in the dusk not only covers up signs <br>that warn against breaking branches of the cherry trees on Asuka Hill, <br>but breaks down the branches, as well. </em><br><br>It is signed Shōyōan Kōjin (or Takahito), which means “Hermitage of Pine and Cherry, High Person.”
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
color woodblock print
Sheet: 22 x 34.4 cm (8 11/16 x 13 9/16 in.)
Bequest of James Parmelee
At the lower edge of this tsuba is the rim and shoulder of a wicker basket. Emerging from the basket to form the body of the tsuba are grasses, peonies and chrysanthemums. The handles of the basket form the edge of the tsuba.
Japanese
3 1/16 in. (7.7 cm)
medium: iron, gold
style: Sunagawa School
culture: Japanese
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Many of Goryeo period spoons like this one feature a curved handle that splits into a jagged fishtail design. This fishtail design is not unique to Korea; it was also widely used in the area under the rule of two non-Han Chinese states: Liao (907–1125) and Jin (1115–1234). These seemingly ordinary objects testify to exciting material interactions between the Goryeo dynasty and non-Han Chinese northern states, which were often omitted from the official records.
Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
bronze
Overall: 33.6 cm (13 1/4 in.)
Did you know...
Bronze spoons are the most common burial item. This particular example bears an inscription at the back of the handle end.
General Income Fund
Sixteenth-century Spanish hunters armed with spears and accompanied by dogs attack a wild bull. It is a dangerous pursuit, and one of the men has fallen backward over his collapsed horse. The dogs are in peril as well. Barye had access to the duke of Orléans's extensive library containing books devoted to history and travel. It was from such sources that he might have derived inspiration for his subjects. This unique lost-wax cast originally was placed next to the plinth carrying the central "Tiger Hunt" (Walters 27.176) in the Duke d'Orleans' celebrated table centre-piece.
H: 18 1/16 × W: 25 9/16 × D: 11 5/8 in. (45.8 × 65 × 29.5 cm)
medium: bronze lost-wax cast with brown varnish patina over yellow bronze with minute traces of gilding
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
At the center of the recto side of this folio is a shamsa, or sunburst, an exquisite symmetrical pattern of floral and geometric shapes painted in precious pigments and gold to reference divine light. The shamsa might have been intended to contain a name or portrait identifying the manuscript’s original owner, but in this case it is empty.
Iran, Shiraz, Timurid period (1370-1501)
opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Image: 27.7 x 10.3 cm (10 7/8 x 4 1/16 in.); Overall: 32.5 x 22.1 cm (12 13/16 x 8 11/16 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
The motifs of this tsuba illustrate traditional New Year's customs. On the right is a man dressed as a lion who performs a celebratory dance. At the upper left is a decorative rope ("shimenawa"), including pine boughs, which are hung on homes during the New Year's season. At the lower edge on the reverse is a small table with traditional offerings.
Japanese
2 9/16 in. (6.5 cm)
medium: iron, gold, copper
culture: Japanese
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.