Bamboo in Four Seasons: Summer1279–1368 · Study 1982.150.1

Context from the museum

The painting depicts high bamboo stems in a breeze with leaves all torn in one direction. The rock on the right suggests a garden setting. Bamboo remains green throughout the year; new shoots emerge every spring and are a Chinese delicacy. During the Yuan dynasty, monochrome ink painting became the dominant style of the scholar-artist, and is used here by a professional painter. Monochrome bamboo with leaves blown in the wind was a popular subject as its depiction demanded brushstrokes and techniques similar to writing calligraphy.

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

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Bamboo in Four Seasons: Summer is 62.3 cm wide and 133.9 cm high, equivalent to approximately 24.5 × 52.7 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.47:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.83 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 20.8% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 118.8 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 Bamboo in Four Seasons: Summer in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, hanging scroll; ink on silk, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 62.3 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?