Artwork Details
51 x 18-5/16 in. (image) 90-1/2 x 24-3/4 in. (mount) 90-1/2 x 28-1/2 in. (installation)
DynastyGift of Mrs. John H. Roberts, Jr.
CopyrightAsian Art (Chinese and other Asian)
Color PaletteMrs. John H. Roberts, Jr.; given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1984
竹林七賢
The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove refers to seven learned men who lived during politically unsettled times in 3rd-century China. Though they may never have actually gathered together, they are renowned through history for their Daoist inclinations, freedom of spirit, disdain of government service, and love for wine and a simple, bucolic life.
The earliest artistic representation of these sages can be found in a tomb dated about 400 CE, and the theme has remained popular. When this painting was made, China was again suffering through instability. Civil war had broken out in 1927, and tensions with Japan were high.
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