Herdboys and Buffalo in Landscapes

Herdboys tend their buffalo in a bucolic landscape by a winding stream. Guo Min emphasizes the massive forms and mighty power of the animals, transforming them into forces of nature.

The poem in the first scroll reads: "The bulls are engaging in fighting, Cautiously, each seeks to overcome the other. The herdboy calmly stands by. Untying his belt, he silently watches."

The poem in the second scroll reads: "Together, they wade through the middle of the stream, Mindless of perils in the journey. The grass grows tall in the village ahead, While the mist and rain spread far and wide."

Two vertical hanging scrolls with ink on silk depict water buffalo in a muted brown landscape. On the left, two buffalo lock horns below a gnarled tree while a boy stands on a slope. On the right, three buffalo wade below another gnarled tree; a second boy sits atop one animal. Chinese calligraphy features in the upper right of both scrolls (see "Inscriptions"), defined by dark, expressive outlines over soft washes.

Herdboys and Buffalo in Landscapes

1200s

Guo Min

(Chinese, mid-late 1200s)

China, Qixian, Yuan dynasty (1271-1368)

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