A Solitary Crane in the Bamboo Groveearly 1600s · Study 1999.224

Context from the museum

Although little known today, Tao Hong was a versatile artist who here depicts farmers returning home after a day in the fields. The shallow stream and dormant rice fields, the returning birds, and light sprinkles of green foliage all indicate the beginning of the farming season and hope for a good harvest. While the first leaf of this pair, 1999.223, depicts rural life, this one is of a more poetic nature. A lone crane stands in a bamboo grove. By using light colors and nuanced brushwork, Tao Hong achieves an effect of natural light and luminosity.

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 Solitary Crane in the Bamboo Grove is 26.7 cm wide and 24.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 10.5 × 9.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.09:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.07 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 8.9% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 136.7 cm on each side before adding a frame. 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 Solitary Crane in the Bamboo Grove in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, album leaf, ink and color on silk, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 26.7 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?