Artwork Page for Banana Plants

Details / Information for Banana Plants

Series Title: 雑畫圖冊

Banana Plants

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
Sheet: 29 x 18.4 cm (11 7/16 x 7 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1985.71.11
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Min Zhen was orphaned at age 12 and developed an eccentric personality,

Description

Min Zhen 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.

This album was painted for his friend Dailili Shanren in exchange for a scholar’s stone. The paintings demonstrate the artist’s versatility and mature style in the last years of his life. While two paintings are rendered in unconventional compositions seen from above (Cat and Butterfly CMA 1985.71.5) and below (Banana Plant CMA 1985.71.11), they have a humorous touch. The banana plant stands for the world of literati but can also allude to Buddhism.
A vertically oriented ink painting on paper depicts banana plants rendered with fluid gray washes. On the left, thick stalks support broad leaves, with one large frond arching across the center toward the upper right. Two smaller shoots emerge from thin, dry brushstrokes of grass at the bottom. Positioned against the empty white background, vertical columns of black script and two red square seals accent the left side.

Banana Plants

1788

Min Zhen

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

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