Artwork Page for Elephant, Horse, and Hare

Details / Information for Elephant, Horse, and Hare

Series Title: Album of Miscellaneous Subjects, 雑畫圖冊

Elephant, Horse, and Hare

1788

Min Zhen 閔貞

(Chinese, 1730–after 1788)
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Culture
China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Medium
album leaf, ink on paper
Measurements
Overall single page: 36.8 x 22.1 cm (14 1/2 x 8 11/16 in.); Painting: 29 x 18.4 cm (11 7/16 x 7 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1985.71.1
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The artist might have seen an elephant in the imperial zoo when he worked in Beijing from 1773 to 1784.

Description

Min Zhen, who was orphaned at age 12 and developed an eccentric personality, was trained by Tang Yin (1682–1756), a writer, playwright, and superintendent of the imperial porcelain workshops in Jingdezhen. The connection to him may have enabled Min to stay in Beijing for a decade from around 1773. It is not clear whether he ever resided in Yangzhou, but his style is in many instances reminiscent of that of Yangzhou artist Huang Shen.

The album was painted for the artist's friend Dailili Shanren in exchange for a scholar’s stone. The paintings demonstrate Min Zhen’s versatility and mature style in the last years of his life. This leaf, Elephant, Horse, and Hare, seems to exhibit a contest, and may be associated with the recipient’s affinity to Buddhism (elephant), Confucianism (horse), and Daoism (hare).
A vertically oriented ink drawing on cream paper depicts an elephant, horse, and hare swimming in a descending arrangement. At the top, a large elephant in dark gray wash faces left. Below, a horse in light gray lines and a small, outlined hare follow the same direction. Sparse, wavy strokes represent water. Vertical black calligraphy and red seals occupy the upper left, while two red seals mark the bottom corners.

Elephant, Horse, and Hare

1788

Min Zhen

(Chinese, 1730–after 1788)
China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

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