A Hundred Sparrows in a Lofty Grove1368–1644 · Study 1981.4

Context from the museum

Sparrows engaged in all kinds of activities frolic amid leafy branches, blades of grass, rocks, and a waterfall. As our eyes move over the scroll, the artist engages us in enjoying the sparrows’ carefree movements in a natural setting. The charming birds were painted from close observation in swift and fluent brushstrokes. Sparrows are a common bird and in Chinese painting they often represent the commoner in human society as opposed to the noble pheasant or peacock representative of the ruling class.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for A Hundred Sparrows in a Lofty Grove is 498.2 cm wide and 28.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 196.1 × 11.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 17.42:1. The rectangular bounding area is 1.42 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 166.1% of the span before adding a frame. That exceeds the example wall width, so a smaller reference wall would not reproduce the recorded scale. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With A Hundred Sparrows in a Lofty Grove in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, handscroll; ink on silk, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 498.2 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?