Flowering Crab Apple

海棠圖

1500

Shen Zhou 沈周

(Chinese, 1427–1509)

Culture

China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

Medium

hanging scroll, ink on paper

Measurements

Painting: 87 x 28.5 cm (34 1/4 x 11 1/4 in.); Overall with knobs: 238.5 x 52.5 cm (93 7/8 x 20 11/16 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1997.101

You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Shen Zhou painted this is an informal and rapidly done presentation picture when he was 74 years old.

Description

Shen Zhou painted a broken branch (zhezhi 折枝) of crab apple, a fragment of nature rather than the full plant in its natural context. Shen uses calligraphic outlines in pure ink to depict the flower petals. The swift yet precise brushstrokes together with the slight S-shaped branch convey vitality.

The inscription is a poem written by the artist, commenting on the lovely color and melancholic aura of the crab apple blossom. Shen Zhou is the founder of the Wu School, a group of scholars and officials active around Suzhou in eastern China, known for practicing painting and calligraphy in a refined and elegant style.