3. What we are looking for:
• Theme
• Subject
• Line, line quality
• Brush Stroke
• Use of text in the artworks
4. Wang Mian (Chinese, died 1359)
Ink Plum, n.d. (ca. 1350s)
The plum, blooming in isolation at the
end of winter when it is still often
surrounded by snow, became a symbol
of renewal and endurance under
adversity. Wang Mian’s images of plum
branches in cascading S-curves were
combined with poems. By combining
the poems with the image of the plum
he emphasized the plum tree’s
importance as a symbol of endurance
and rebirth.
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9. Sumiyoshi School
Scenes from the Battle of Yashima, ca. mid-17th century
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Six-panel folding screen; ink, color, and gold leaf on paper, 37 7/16 x 111 1/4 in. (95.1 x 282.6 cm)
Leonard C. Hanna, Jr., B.A. 1913, Fund
2002.84.2
This work depicts a battle fought between two rival warrior families in 1185: the Taira (Heike), hoisting their red banners, and the
Minamoto (Genji), waving their white banners. The tightly knit formation of the mounted Minamoto warriors predicts their victory
over the Taira, who have retreated in scattered boats. The scene is an illustration from The Tale of the Heike. Satō Tsuginobu, shot
by an arrow, is shown plummeting headfirst off his horse.
10. Flying Attendant, 14th century
China, Yuan dynasty (1279–1368)
Wall painting; pigments on plaster, 50
x 50 in
Wall painting was one of the major
formats of Chinese painting before the
dominance of scholar painters
gradually relegated mural painters to
the status of craftsmen. palaces and
temples alike were painted by some of
the greatest names in the history of
Chinese painting. This section of a wall
painting from a Buddhist temple,
shows the descent through clouds of a
winged attendant with tail feathers
trailing behind. The figure holds a lotus
leaf and is showering flowers onto a
deity below. Only the edge of the
deity’s halo is seen at lower left. There
would have been a similar figure to the
left of the halo.
11. Andō Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858)
New Year's Eve, Fox Fires by the Nettle Tree at Ōji (i), 1857
Color wood block print, 14 5/16 x 9 5/8 in. (36.4 x 24.4 cm)
