The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 16, 2026

Bamboo in Snow

1818

Hong Fan

(Chinese, active late 1700s–early 1800s)
China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
hanging scroll; ink on paper
Painting only: 164.5 x 87.6 cm (64 3/4 x 34 1/2 in.); Overall with knobs: 288 x 121.7 cm (113 3/8 x 47 15/16 in.)
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2023.161
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Hong Fan’s bamboo stalks and rocky boulders fill the picture plane almost entirely and recede and fade in the background, suggesting the depth of a grove and a wintry, hazy atmosphere.

Description

Hong Fan’s bamboo stalks amidst rocky boulders bend gently forward. Light washes of ink suggest a misty, wintry atmosphere. Fan was inspired in style and concept by the poet, calligrapher and painter, Su Shi (1037-1101) who considered bamboo an ideal subject to express the calligraphic qualities of brushwork. Bamboo that bends, but does not break under the heavy snow, was also an image for the upright scholar who withstands adverse times.
  • ?–1960s
    (Portobello Market vender, London, England, sold to John Gosse)
    1960s–2017
    Mr. John Gosse [1914–2017], Kew, Richmond, London, England, to Hanshan Tang
    2017–2023
    (Hanshan Tang, London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2023–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Bamboo in Snow|url=false|author=Hong Fan|year=1818|access-date=16 March 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2023.161