"Hanging Scroll of Prunus Branches, " Ink on Paper

c. 1850

This Korean hanging scroll from the mid-20th century honors traditional calligraphy painting with delicate detail and a refined composition, thought to inspire clear and concise thinking. Expressing the beauty and resilience of nature’s flora, ink calligraphy artists traditionally select plants and flowers as the subjects of their works, each chosen for its auspicious meaning, literary resonance, or scholarly virtue. This particular example depicts a quiet natural landscape of three plants growing side-by-side along a rocky hill. Strong bamboo stalks sway above a branch of delicate prunus branches, while elegant orchids blossom in the foreground. Each painted by a different artist, these sacred plants represent the cycle of the seasons: the plum blossom for winter, the orchid for spring, and the bamboo for summer. Brushed with black ink for a monochromatic expression, the painting relies on value rather than color to convey depth and texture within this simple setting. The collaborative painting is contrasted by a beautiful blue silk brocade border woven with a repeating pattern of blossoms and vines. Each plant is signed individually in ink along with the artist’s seal. Painting has been remounted. Includes a wooden scroll...

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